Asia largest mobile market in world by end of decade - report

Asia may become the largest regional mobile telecommunications market in the world over the next five to ten years, according to a new report from market research group In-Stat.

In 2004, there were nearly 740m mobile users in Asia (including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand) with total revenue of roughly €147bn, the high-tech market research firm says. By 2009, Asian mobile telecom revenues will reach over €210bn, according to In-Stat's forecast. India will be the fastest growing entity in this region, with a 32.8 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in terms of subscribers, and 31.1 per cent by revenue, for the period from 2004 to 2009.

The research group sees Asia as the most exciting market for investors, operators, equipment vendors, and handset manufacturers. 'Operators like NTT DoCoMo and Singapore Telecom are seeking investment opportunities to expand outside their home markets,' says Bryan Wang, In-Stat analyst.

South Korean handset vendors like Samsung and LG are significantly gaining market share in both high-end products and in developing markets. In the equipment area, Sony Ericsson is still winning within the region, with its advanced technologies and R&D facilities, extensive infrastructure, great product quality, and successful marketing strategies. US equipment vendors like Motorola and Lucent have made significant headway in the Asian market because of their large new deployments of CDMA technology.