MOBILE PHONE INDUSTRY EDGES $10 BILLION

Written by Adam Gosling

Wednesday, 14 September 2005

The mobile telecommunications industry revenues edged up to $9.9 Billion in 2004-5 and is expected to reach nearly $12 Billion this fiscal year according to a new report. Commissioned by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), the report by The Allen Consulting Group found that $10 Billion has been spent on capital works over the past eight years. The Industry Gross Product in 2004-05 was $6.1 billion, up from $5.3 billion in the previous year adding more to the economy than the free-to-air television services industry, the newspaper printing and publishing industry or the computer consultancy services sector. The now employs more than 33,000 people represents about a third of all telco workers and pays out about $1.3 billion in wages in 2004-05. The future looks even brighter according to AMTA CEO Graham Chalker who said the industry is poised for a new phase of growth with the introduction of new 3G services. “The importance of being mobile is particularly important for businesses. Mobiles enable business customers to access their company’s local area network on their laptops and new mobile devices while out of the office,” he said. “The concept of the mobile office is here with the benefit of 3G technology and single mobile devices which play the role of PDA, email, video and digital camera and business document reader in one mobile phone.” Other findings in the report estimate the mobile market at a shade lower than recent IDC figures. According to the Allen Consulting Group, the current penetration rate is 81 per cent (or 16.2 million subscribers). It is estimated to exceed 94 per cent (or almost 19 million subscribers) by the end of this financial year. With an end in sight for contract phone plans it is prepaid customers that are driving the growth in subscriber numbers with 70 per cent of subscriber growth last financial year coming from customers who chose prepaid. AMTA, which is holding its annual conference in Sydney starting today is the peak national body representing the mobile phone industry. For a copy of the report email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it www.amta.org.au Related news items Consumers Want FMC: Companies Don't See The Benefit -02/10/2007 Consumer Advice For Premium Mobile Services -03/09/2007 Sydney Airport Network Improved For APEC -03/09/2007 With Half A Billion Cell Phones China Readies High Speed -24/08/2007 Telstra To Launch MVNO In NZ -12/08/2007 Newer news items DRAFT CREDIT MANAGEMENT CODE -09/10/2005 TXT HACKERS COULD CRASH CELL NETWORKS -06/10/2005 VODAFONE TARGET’S OVER 35’s -29/09/2005 OPTUS MAY BUY BRANSON'S VIRGIN SHARE -29/09/2005 INTERNATIONAL ROAMING RATES HIGH: ACCC -15/09/2005 Older news items 740M MOBILE USERS IN ASIA -13/09/2005 MOBILE LEADERS TO ADDRESS CONFERENCE -12/09/2005 TELSTRA 3G LAUNCHES -04/09/2005 INTEL INVESTS IN UNWIRED -24/08/2005 HUTCHISON STILL LOSING -16/08/2005 Tag This Now: