1.6 Billion in Q4-2004!

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050502005395&newsLang=en' target='_blank'>http://home.businesswire.com/portal...395&newsLang=en</a><br /><br /></div><i>"As the wireless market matures and voice services become more of a commodity, the competitive landscape among U.S. wireless carriers is rapidly evolving. In a new study of the U.S. wireless services market, IDC found that U.S. wireless carriers generated $1.6 billion in data service and application revenues in 4Q04 from a base of 178.2 million subscribers and customers."</i><br /><br />Overall some very interesting information on the state of the financial world regarding wireless carriers. While messaging accounted for around half of the revenues, data service didn't show to shabby with 5.8% of the overall revenue. One thing that is a bit annoying though:<br /><br /><i>"In the study, IDC offers recommendations to U.S. wireless carriers as they continue to focus on key strategies that allow them to achieve and sustain growth involving data services and applications, including building a value-oriented data strategy, fine-tune marketing strategies for the youth and young adult markets"</i><br /><br />Apparently despite my moaning, the teenagers who want ringtones over access to corporate email, MMS over SMS, and "cool" over "Productive" are looked upon kindly by IDC and other market analysts. Oh U.S. Carriers - why can't you go after the businessman-who-wants-his-data-now market like you go after the kids-who-want-to-have-fun market???

[PPCRules]

... like you go after the kids-who-want-to-have-fun market???
Or the family-that-has-nothing-to-do-but-talk-to-each-other-2000-minutes-a-month-on-the-phone market.

I've been in the market for a new phone/plan for a while and all that is being marketed is to these two groups. I haven't been able to find anything compelling for my needs.

There was a time when I said "Great. If you want to spend your money on ringtones, it just subsidizes my plan". But if that's the only markets the carriers care about, there isn't any spill over benefit to the rest of us, and being in an ignored group leaves your needs unmet.

And next it'll be the tv-on-cell-phone market that they're going after, so things aren't going to get any better.

[Sven Johannsen]

There's something that escapes me

"data represented some 5.8% of industry-wide ARPU in 4Q04"

"Messaging led the way at around 50% of total revenues in 4Q04"

Isn't messaging a data service? I don't imagine there is underlying text to speeech, transfer over a voice channel and speech to text involved in SMS.

[Jonathan1]

Oh U.S. Carriers - why can't you go after the businessman-who-wants-his-data-now market like you go after the kids-who-want-to-have-fun market???

Simple reason. At the end of the day its all about entertainment. About bling bling. Why do you think iPod sales are so hot? :?