European Mobile Behavior Might Shift, Temporarily

Forrester Research analyst Pete Nuthall does not think economic stringency will dent
European mobile penetration rate of 84 percent. But he does predict there will be some reduced usage and spending. Purchases of more advanced handsets and services also might dip.

Mobile providers are responding to the anticipated changes by de-emphasizing mobile data services and expanding the variety of SIM-only offers.

Send and Receive Text Messages from Google Chat

At least some Gmail Chat users now can send text messages to buddies on their mobile phones using Gmail Chat. Recipients also can respond to those text messages just like they would respond to messages sent directly from a mobile phone, as well. As is typical for new feature introductions, the feature is being rolled out in phases, so not every Google Chat user has access to the feature right now.

Google appears to enable that function by providing a virtual phone number. The feature also works for mobiles responding from outside the United States, but the operation isn't quite so automated.

The ability to send a text message from a PC is not new. The ability to receive text message replies to a PC is.

To send text messages, users enter a contact name in the "Search or invite friends" box in "Chat," and select "Send SMS" from the box of options. If a chat window already is open for that contact, users just click "Video & more," and select "Send SMS."

If your contact replies, the text message response will appear as a reply in "Chat." These conversations are stored in your Chat history just like regular chats.

Age a Factor in New App Adoption

Just to confirm what you already know, a new study by ABI Research shows that, when it comes to viewing TV and video, growth in consumer markets is more limited by consumers’ ability to create new habits than by technology availability or ease of use. 

“The willingness to adopt new forms of entertainment delivery is in many cases determined by the age of the consumer,” says Steve Wilson, ABI Research principal analyst.  “That means that market growth is simply a matter of time.”

Still, there are some new changes. Game console penetration in the 18-to-25 year old segment showed no gain over last year, whereas penetration in the 65-or-over segment grew more than 200 percent.    

DVR ownership likewise is up uniformly across all age groups. On the other hand, some 65 percent of the respondents over 65 have never used VOD, compared to 30 percent of those in the 25 to 29 age range. However, 40 to 50 percent of those who have tried it continue use it at least once a month regardless of age. 

Internet downloading likewise is only really popular with consumers under 30. 

Video cell phone usage: consumers in their 30s are four times more likely to have watched video on their handset than those in their 50s.  The wealthy, willing to pay the extra costs, are much more likely to watch video on their handsets than the less affluent. 

Cincinnati Bell Revenue: Only 14% Consumer Voice

In some ways, the big story out of Cincinnati Bell in the third quarter was the progress the independent local exchange carrier has had in diversifying its revenue streams. In the third quarter of 2008, just 14 percent of its revenue was generated by consumer voice.

About 20 percent of the carrier's revenue was earned providing technology solutions including data center and managed services.

Wireless service revenue in the quarter was $74 million, up $6 million or nine percent from a year ago. Cincinnati Bell had 567,000 wireless customers at the end of the quarter, which reflected year-over-year growth of six percent in its post-paid wireless customer base.

Post-paid quarterly average revenue per user was $48.82, an increase of $1.41 year-over-year and $1.46 sequentially. Pre-paid ARPU was $26.33, up 15 percent from the third quarter of 2007 while prepaid subscribers declined eight percent.

Technology Solutions quarterly revenue was $73 million, down $1 million, or one percent from a year ago. Technology Solutions segment operating income of $6 million was up two percent from the prior year quarter.

Data center and managed services revenue was up 39 percent from the third quarter of 2007. But lower-margin equipment revenue declined $10 million or 19 percent from the prior year.

Year-over-year DSL subscriber growth was six percent. At the end of the quarter, Cincinnati Bell had a total of 231,000 DSL subscribers.

Quarterly wireline revenue was $201 million, down $1 million or one percent from the third quarter of 2007. Increased revenue from data services, long distance and expansion markets partially offset lower voice revenue in Cincinnati Bell's traditional service area.

Year-over-year total access line loss in the third quarter was 6.8 percent, reflecting a decline in the company's in-territory consumer access lines. Business lines were even with a year ago while expansion market access lines increased 14 percent.

iPhone Penetration Broadening Sharply

The trend can't be identified with any precision yet, but some end users might be adopting a new form of "substitutional" behavior of the sort mobility seems to be causing to wired phone lines.

Since June 2008 3G iPhone use rose 48 percent among those earning between $25,000 and $50,000 per year and by 46 percent among those earning between $25,000 and $75,000.

These growth rates are three times that of those earning more than $100,000 per year, the original "early adopter" population.

The reason it is not clear whether a new trend is emerging or not is that some of these users, perhaps most, are buying $200 subsidized phones, which puts the devices into a range many might be able and willing to pay for some other sort of smart phone.

And while the cost of a stand-alone, single-device and single-user account might be fairly hefty for users in the fast-growing income ranges, it is conceivable that many are on family or group plans of some sort that do not represent new monthly charges as much as $70 a month.

Still, there is a suggestion here that some users might be choosing to use use a single device for a music player, email device, voice and Internet access platform, possibly cannibalizing some amount of broadband access and wireline voice service in the process.

Mobile Usage Up

Over 54 percent of those surveyed said their mobile phone usage had increased by more than 25 percent over the last two years, and one in five respondents said it had increased by more than 50 percent, says Azuki Systems, Inc.
About 62 percent of respondents say they either own or will own a smart phone in the next 12 months.

ABI Lowers Mobile Handset Sales Forecast

ABI Research has revised its expectations for fourth quarter 2008 mobile handset sales to 7.5 percent growth from the 10.4 percent it earlier expected.

Call that the expected impact of tougher economic conditions.

Year over year annual growth is therefore likely to be between 10.5 percent and 11 percent, to close out the year at around 1.27 billion.

Handset sales grew 8.2 percent during the third quarter, year over year.

Expect to see aggressive marketing and promotional activities from operators and vendors alike as they strive to lure end-users to upgrade their handsets before the year’s end, ABI predicts.