May 2010 - Chapter Two:

Asia’s mobile phone innovations

>>> PDF Download: Asia’s mobile phone innovations [268 KB]

Many of the media innovations in Asia over the past few years have involved new uses for the mobile phone. For example, early in 2010 the Pearson publishing group and phone maker Nokia formed a joint venture to teach English to people in China via the mobile phone. This chapter looks at some of the more interesting mobile phone innovations, and provides data about mobile phone penetration in the Asian region. Examples of other innovations are invited from readers. Please contact the author at sraquinn(at)gmail.com.
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As more and more people buy smart-phones, innovative media houses will need to provide a stream of new applications and opportunities, such as AR and a range of new possibilities brought about by new technologies. The arrival of the iPad, to be launched in early April 2010, and similar electronic devices will open the door for new ways for journalists to tell stories. Journalists must embrace these new opportunities. Otherwise they risk being left behind in the next phase of the digital evolution. The research company Datamonitor predicted the number of mobile phones in the Asian region would jump from 389 million in 2007 to 890 million by 2012.
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Singapore had the highest penetration of mobile phones (131 per cent) in South East Asia. In January 2009 there were 6.3 million subscribers. By early 2009 Singapore had 2.5 million 3G subscribers, a remarkable 40 per cent of the total mobile subscriber base. Singapore’s Wireless@SG initiative has established more than 5,000 public wi-fi hotspots around the island. More than 90 per cent of Singapore’s households had some form of high-speed broadband Internet by 2009, and this was expected to reach 100 per cent by 2010.
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>>> PDF Download: Asia’s mobile phone innovations [268 KB]

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