"No Killer App" is a Key Service Provider Challenge for the Next Decade

The notion that "there is no killer app" has become a commonplace observation in much of the Internet access business, though some might argue that streamed video entertainment, in driving the bulk of data consumption, arguably has become the driver of access service revenue. 

But that lack of a killer app, in terms of revenue generation, is a problem for access providers facing the likelihood that the next wave of revenue will move way past voice, messaging and simple Internet access, to applications and value added services of various types.

Some would say that prospects are brightest in the mobile realm, in part because application use is migrating to mobile or at least untethered modes.

To put matters in the simplest terms, assume the global industry has to replace about half its current legacy revenue in a decade. That implies something on the order of $500 billion worth of new revenues must be created. 

Consider the connected car market, which might represent something like Eur5 billion in global access revenue in about five years. That's useful, but doesn't make much of a dent in a need of $500 billion. 

That implies access providers will have to either acquire a more significant role in the "services other than access" parts of the business, or will have to rely on many other sources to reach the grand total of $500 billion.