New research predicts that global revenue from mobile data services (inc SMS) will reach $200 billion this year, up 27 per cent from $157 billion in 2007.

Informa says data revenues exceeded US$49 billion in 1Q08 alone, equivalent to a 42.7 per cent y-o-y increase.

That Q1 figure means mobile operators now generate approximately one fifth of their revenue from data services. Non-SMS data contributed $17.48 billion of revenue in 1Q08, accounting for 35.6 per cent of total data revenues.

Asia Pacific comprises 40 per cent of the world's data revenues (over $20 billion in 1Q08), representing an above average y-o-y growth rate of 48 per cent.

The biggest regional riser, however, is the Middle East, which despite contributing just two per cent of the world's data revenues in 1Q08, has seen a 91.7 per cent y-o-y increase to $927 million.

Infroma says 321 per cent y-o-y rise in the number of HSPA subscribers in the region, which reached 2.9 million by the end of March 2008, is driving growth.