Subject: [NEXTEL-1] US mobile phone penetration rate close to 49%, says FCC

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 12:16:36 -0400

US mobile phone penetration rate close to 49%, says FCC
Chinmei Sung, DigiTimes.com, Taipei [Tuesday 8 July 2003]

The number of mobile phone subscribers in US rose from 128.5 million to 141.8
million in 2002, representing a penetration rate of roughly 49%, according to the
latest annual report from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In comparison, the mobile phone penetration rate is about 60% in Japan, 88% in
Italy and 107% in Taiwan.
Boosted by falling prices, mobile phone subscribers spent an average of 427
minutes per month on mobile phone usage between June and December 2002, up 12%
from 380 minutes in the same period in 2001. The price reduction for services
during 2002 ranged from 1% to 9%, depending on the methodology employed.

Wide deployment of networks by broadband PCS (personal communications service) and
digital SMR (specialized mobile radio) licensees further encourage higher mobile
phone usage and penetration. SMR is used by Nextel, a wireless carrier.

Mobile data services accounted for 1% of the total US$76 billion in revenues
generated in the industry last year. The ratio is expected to grow more
significantly this year since an estimated 11.9 million subscribers, or 8% of the
total, signed up for some type of mobile Internet service as of the end of 2002.

An additional 2.3 million consumers subscribed to mobile Internet services on
data-only mobile devices by the end of 2002. Mobile data providers began offering
a variety of new services to consumers during the past year, including
downloadable ringtones and graphics, multimedia messaging services and interactive
gaming.

Established services, such as text messaging and e-mail, continued to grow in
popularity. It is estimated that 20% of all mobile phone subscribers in the US
used text messaging services during the fourth quarter of 2002.

http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article5.asp?datePublish=2003/07/08&pages=PR&seq=203

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