The telecommunications industry has evolved drastically since the first mobile phone call was placed more than 45 years ago during an era where only the wealthiest of consumers owned a mobile phone. 

As the profit and differentiation available from mobile services such as voice, messaging, and data decreases, operators need to look to what mobile analyst Chetan Sharma has termed the fourth wave^[1.] in order to open up additional lines of business and create additional revenue streams.