The Asia Pacific wireless telecom industry will grow from $159.97 bln in annual revenue in 2005 to $242.42 bln by the end of 2010, reports In-Stat. The overall subscriber penetration rate for the region (including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indian, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan) was about 25% in 2005 – varying from 6.8% (India) to 115% (Hong Kong).
In countries with successful 3G launches, like Japan, providers have enjoyed higher data services revenue, about 27.9% of total revenue in 2005, significantly higher than the overall regional rate of 19.9%. In 2005, there were over 859.4 mln wireless service subscribers in the region, a total that is expected to reach 1.57 bln in 2010. Mergers and consolidation in mature markets such as Hong Kong are helping operators maintain a competitive advantage while aiming for higher profitability. Currently, mobile downloading of ring tones and wallpapers, MMA and games are the most popular non-voice services.