Mobile phone users top 3.3 billion

May 25, 2008

The number of mobile phone users worldwide soared to over 3.3 billion by the end of 2007, equivalent to a penetration rate of 49 per cent, the International Telecommunications Union said in a report this week.
Africa showed the strongest gains over the past two years and more than two thirds of all mobile subscribers were from developing countries by the end of 2007, the ITU said.
This is "a positive trend that suggests that developing countries are catching up," the report said.
Mobile subscription growth stood at 39 per cent annually in Africa between 2005-2007, and 28 per cent in Asia over the same period.
India and China added 154 million and 143 million new subscribers respectively.
The global annual average growth rate stood at 22 per cent, the ITU said.
Mobile phones are eclipsing traditional fixed lines and in Africa they account for nearly 90 per cent of all telephone subscribers, the report said.
"The continued growth in the mobile sector is matched by no-growth in the fixed-line sector. Fixed telephone penetration has been stagnating at just under 20 per cent globally for the last years and growth has been below one per cent between 2005 and 2007," it said.
While developing countries have made great strides in mobile growth, a significant 'digital divide' remains for internet use and particularly the availability of broadband connections, it noted.
High-income countries account for 66 per cent of all fixed broadband subscribers although they only represent 16 per cent of the world's population, while developing countries have just one per cent of fixed broadband users but 38 per cent of the global population.
"Low-income countries, where broadband access remains very low, risk falling behind in an area that is particularly important in delivering innovative applications and services," the ITU warned.
Some countries have made progress and the ITU highlighted Chile, Senegal and Turkey as states where almost all internet subscribers have now gone high speed.
"For more people to benefit from the potential of broadband and the applications that it can deliver, governments need to do their share to ensure that high-speed technologies become more accessible as well as more affordable," the ITU urged.

E-commerce solution provider Com2B allowed to make equity investment in Global Mobile

7 Dec, 2007

Taiwan's National Communication Commission (NCC) has approved an application by Cayman Islands-based Com2B, a provider of e-commerce solutions, to invest NT$60 million (US$1.86 million) in licensed WiMAX operator Global Mobile, according to an NCC announcement.
The equity investment from Com2B will account for a 5% stake of Global Mobile's initial paid-in capital of NT$1.2 billion, according to a capital formation plan released earlier by Global Mobile.
Global Mobile has also attracted investments from a number of companies, including Era Digital Media, Videoland and Soft-World International.
However, Global Mobile might have difficulties soliciting enough of the minimum capital required by the NCC for the commencement of WiMAX service. So far the company has gathered only 10% of the capital needed for its initial capital formation plan, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.
The NCC has issued six WiMAX licenses in Taiwan with each licensee requiring to put up a minimum paid-in capital of NT$1 billion before the end of this year. The NCC also offers a grace period of three months for the formation of the minimum capital, if necessary.