Asia Pacific will reach three billion mobile connections in Q1 2012


GSMA announced that global mobile connections will reach six billion by the end
of November 2011 and that the Asia Pacific region accounts for half of these
connections.



Mobile penetration in Asia Pacific will reach three billion connections in Q1
2012, nearly two years earlier than projected in the region’s 2009 Mobile
Observatory.



The growth in penetration of mobile services in Asia Pacific, from just 12
percent in 2002 to 78 percent in 2011, is largely due to mobile operators in
the region’s major markets investing an average of 16.3 percent of their
revenues into capital expenditure, significantly higher than their counterparts
in other parts of the world.



Other key factors include:



Investment in mobile broadband infrastructure, as many operators across the
region are already driving HSPA+/LTE rollouts.



Cost-effective pre-paid services (84 per cent of Asia Pacific connections
versus 66 per in Europe and 15 per cent in USA/Canada).



Introduction of low-cost handsets and reduction in mobile usage prices.
Innovative business models including infrastructure sharing and unique
distribution strategies, making the expansion of network coverage to rural
areas economically viable for operators and consumers.



Limited fixed-line infrastructure, driving many consumers to adopt mobile
communications.



By 2015, the region will reach 4.1 billion connections, growing at twice the
rate of Europe and North America, and will account for 40 per cent of mobile
data traffic worldwide. 


“Asia Pacific is one of the world’s fastest-growing mobile markets,
through an impressive combination of investment and innovation. China alone
currently has 940 million total mobile connections, exceeding the total number
of connections in Europe and the US combined,” said Tom Phillips, chief
government and regulatory affairs officer, GSMA.



Mobile connectivity has rendered significant social and economic benefits for
the Asia Pacific region. The mobile market across the AP17 countries currently
generates an estimated $485 billion, or 2.7 percent of total GDP, with mobile
operators alone contributing over $310 billion in 2010. The industry is also a
significant contributor to employment in the region, with approximately 11.4
million people either directly or indirectly employed through the mobile
ecosystem.



By Telecomlead.com Team
[email protected]