The mobile Internet digital divide in AsiaPacific: Two personal mobile spaces

1
The mobile Internet digital divide in
Asia-PacificTwo personal mobile spaces?
ITU TELECOM ASIA 2004 B1 Defining the personal
mobile space 7 September 2004-Busan, Republic of
Korea

• Michael Minges
• Senior Market Analyst

2
Mobile ubiquitouscomputer in your pocket
3
Status of high-speed mobile networks,
Asia-Pacific, 2003
High-speed mobile subscribers as of total
mobile subscribers
High-speed networks in Asia-Pacific, June
2004 GPRS 40 1XRTT 13 EDGE 4 WCDMA
4 1XEV-DO 3
Source TMG.
4
The mobile Internet digital divide
is worse than the conventional digital divide
5
Two killerMobile Internet applications
6
SMS problemHigh text message revenue makes
operators reluctant to invest in mobile
InternetSMS works on virtually any phone and
does not need high speed network
Source TMG.
7
SMS problemHigh text message revenue makes
operators reluctant to invest in mobile
InternetSMS works on virtually any phone and
does not need high speed network
Note SMS revenue for Philippines refers to
SMART, China to China Mobile (HK), Japan to
Vodafone and Korea to KTF. SMS usage figures
refer to whole country. Source TMG adapted from
operator reports.
8
Handset divide
for the upgrade market, camera phones and
phones with other multimedia features
SEGMENTATION
launched a line of affordable, entry level
phones
Source TMG.
9
Developing nations have best demographics for
mobile Internet!
10
Conclusions

• Ubiquitous
• Mobile widely available relative to other ICT
  devices
• High-speed
• Now available
• Yet a two-track mobile Internet is developing
• Some nations way ahead
• Others still stuck in text-mode
• Solutions
• Regulatory incentives such as more competition,
  especially technological, and assisting mobile
  industry to meet broadband aspirations
• Manufacturers and operators to re-think
  segmentation

11
Thank you!
This presentation is based on Asia-Pacific
Mobile Multimedia Outlook 2004 Featuring an
overview of mobile multimedia trends in 13 key
Asia-Pacific markets covering 98 of subscribers
in the region. Available from www.tmgtelecom.com/
reports More information reports_at_tmgtelecom.com
12
Source Venturi Wireless