The next billion users of mobile devices and services will likely come from Asia, a region that continues to lead the pace of the global mobile growth, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), predicted.

Industry group MMA, which recently released its top mobile industry predictions, said with roughly one-third of the over 4 billion mobile subscribers in the world already coming from Asia, mobile telecommunications is definitely an area that has come of age.

Growth across all areas of mobile telecommunications – whether it be infrastructure, mobile phone subscriptions, mobile Internet, SMS, or gaming – is happening at an explosive pace all across Asia, as the adoption of mobile communications is outpacing internet adoption across the region, and by substantial amounts, the MMA said.

Aside from industry growth, the MMA also predicted mobile data use increase in the APAC region, brought by innovative smart devices and killer applications.

Mobile use will also increase with the ongoing proliferation of high data consumption services that include video or peer-to-peer applications, the MMA said.

On the user plan side, the MMA predicted that applications for smartphone devices like the Apple iPhone in the APAC region will compel carriers to include mobile data plans as value-added services.

Applications that are specifically developed for the iPhone, Android phones, Blackberry devices and others will eventually convert many to mobile data use for internet access, the MMA said. This is a pull factor for subscribers to add mobile data VAS – in turn this will add to the ARPU for each subscriber and improve the bottom line for operators.

Mergers and acquisition will also impact the mobile industry, the MMA said, noting that the recent merger of Google and Admob validates the power, reach and value of the wider mobile marketing industry.

For big brands that already leverage Google’s vast suite of online advertising tools, there will be an expansion across mobile channels, as well as more integrated campaigns that captivate and engage across web, mobile, print and experiential channels, the MMA said.

In terms of security, higher mobile data use will raise concerns over online/mobile privacy, particularly as users share important personal information over social media, the industry group said.

Platforms such as Facebook have already had to address the use of user data and put new privacy policies in place, and this will only increase with the more pervasive use of social media and as other online services go mobile.

The MMA further said other mobile-based services, such as mobile payment, will continue to grow, with the global remittance moving through the Asian population.

Currently, Singapore and Hong Kong are the most mature electronic payment markets in Asia. The industry is growing rapidly and provides significant opportunities for all electronic payment channels including mobile platforms.

Mobile healthcare is another fast growing segment in Asia with its aging but tech-friendly population, as well as mobile music, the MMA said.

Lastly, mobile application appealing to gamers will also rise, the MMA said.

Smartphones can double as mobile game machines, and the delivery of advertising within mobile applications for games will only grow in the next year, the group said.