Numbers
The world's mobile carrier club, the GSM Association, said this week that the number of GSM users worldwide has reached 2 billion, or just over 30 percent of the world's population. The association said new users are signing up at the rate of 1,000 per minute (around 18 per second). According to research from analyst house Strategy Analytics, 3G will pass the 100 million-subscribers mark this month. The analyst also points out that 3G is now growing faster than GSM (the 2G standard used throughout most of the world) did in the early 90s. Separate research from ABI Research predicts that by 2011, there will be 1 billion 3G users worldwide.
Mobile Broadcasting
The first mobile broadcast services--providing mobile phone users with access to live and on-demand streaming audio in categories such as music, news, sports, entertainment, religion and international programming--have been launched in Korea, Japan and Italy via satellite and terrestrial networks, and many operators have launched mobile TV streaming versions of their 3G networks worldwide. As the market picks up, 3G networks will not be able to carry the mobile TV traffic. New rollouts by mobile operators and broadcasters are urgently needed.
Mobile WC
You must have a license to follow the World Cup via mobile phone or PC. "Whether you work in an office, a building site, a hotel or anywhere else, there's really no excuse for breaking the law," writes Andy McCue in silicon.com. "The U.K. TV Licensing authority said it will be targeting traditional license fee dodgers who watch the matches on TV during the World Cup, but warned that the law also covers online broadcasting. That means businesses which provide TVs in the office for staff to watch matches and allow their workers to follow the goals at their desks through the Beeb's online broadcasts could face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 if they don't have a TV licencs." The question, of course, is: Do you also have to pay for following the matches via a mobile in a boat, in the hospital, in the train, in the plane, etc.?
Mobile Rights
Analysts estimate that the FIFA will generate US$300 million from the mobile rights for all World Cup matches and highlights. The providers will not make money, but are using the Word Cup as a technical trial and demonstration tool. In the year 2011, 210 million mobile uses will be active watching their small screens.