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Global Mobile Data Service Revenue Growth

Global revenues from mobile data services surpassed $100 billion for the first time last year according to Informa Telecoms & Media. The figure of $102.1 billion is equal to $52.9 per every mobile subscription throughout the year or $4.4 per month.

Strong data revenue growth has continued into 2006, with the 1Q figure of $28.4 billion up 17 percent year-on-year. "The industry is comfortably on track to exceed last year's record total," commented Kester Mann, Senior Research Analyst with Informa. "Data revenues continue to be driven by the ongoing deployment of advanced technologies, improvements in handsets and global subscription growth."

Putting the 2005 figure into perspective, it is on a par with the combined fees paid so far by European operators for 3G licences ($102.3 billion according to Informa Telecom & Media's World Cellular Information Service).

NTT DoCoMo continues to generate the highest non-voice revenues, based on data for 114 operators tracked. Its total of $2.5 billion for 1Q06 compares to second-placed operator China Mobile ($1.9 billion) with Japanese rival KDDI $1.5 billion in third. Three US operators (Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless and Sprint Nextel) recorded data revenues above $800 million, while the leading European operator was O2 UK ($570 million).

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