2) Mobile Technology shorts

11.4 mln fixed mobile convergence users in China by 2010
Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) will grow slowly at first in China, and then experience swift growth after the commencement of 3G services between 2008 and 2010, reports In-Stat. In 2005, there were about 400,000 consumer FMC subscribers, and that number will increase to 11.4 mln in 2010. For the Chinese business market, FMC subscriber totals will increase from 0.4 mln in 2005 to 5.6 mln in 2010.

Average wireless bill up $11 over the past three years
During the past three-year period, the average monthly wireless bill has increased a full $11: from $55 in 2004 to $66 in 2006. the percentage of wireless customers using text messaging on a regular basis has risen from 19% in 2005 to 25% in 2006 - a 32% increase. J.D. Power and Associates measures customer satisfaction based on 42 specific service-related measures grouped into six key factors that impact overall wireless carrier performance. They are (in order of importance): call performance and reliability (26%); customer service (17%); service plan options (17%); brand image (14%); cost of service (14%); and billing (12%). Carriers are ranked across six regions in the United States: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, Southwest and West.

Mobile penetration in Latin America at 48%
Mobile connections in Latin America grew by nearly 6%, to over 270 million, giving a penetration rate of 48%. Operators in Colombia added the most new connections; followed closely by Brazil, then Venezuela, Gartner reports.

Who watches mobile video
30% of mobile video users watch mobile TV and video clips on their cell phones during the hours of noon and 4 pm, and 31% watch during the early evening commute hours of 4 pm to 8 pm, Telephia says . Not surprisingly, mobile video viewing drops to just 9% during the regular television primetime hours of 8 pm to 11 pm. 50% of mobile video users are 25-36 year olds, compared to 24% of the total mobile population. In terms of gender, mobile video usage does resemble an early adoption profile, where 70% of users are men, compared to a nearly even male/female ratio for all mobile subscribers. Mobile video user demographics show an ethnically diverse population, with 16% of mobile video users being African-American and 27% Hispanic, compared to 11% for each group for general mobile subscribers.