IDC's latest report on the mobile phone market in Australia, Look Ma, No Wires!: Australian Cellular Market Forecast and Analysis, 2003-2007 , predicts that 83 percent of the population (17.2 million) will own a mobile device within three years.
The report predicted the number of mobile phone users in Australia would reach 14.9 million - three quarters of the population - by the end of this year. Telstra's chief executive officer, Dr Ziggy Switkowski, has predicted 15 million users by the end of 2003, and a penetration rate greater than 100 percent within a few years.
IDC predicted mobile services to generate revenue of AU$8.4 billion in 2003, and grow at an average annual rate of almost 10 percent to reach AU$12.1 billion in 2007. The Allen Consulting Group has estimated the mobile phone industry added AU$5 billion to Australia's economy in 2002. IDC predict that the strong growth will be driven by non-voice services such as SMS and MMS, wireless IP data and content. Non-voice offerings are forecast to make up one-third total carrier revenue in 2007, compared to 13 percent currently.
Warren Chaisatien, IDC Senior Analyst for Mobile & Wireless Solutions research, expects the widespread introduction of 3G network infrastructure by 2005 to boost the revenue generated from non-voice applications. He added this would be likely to reverse the trend of a declining average revenue per user (ARPU).
