Thanks to TechDigest.

The mobile market is important in all 190 plus nations on Earth where the number of mobile subscribers increases at a phemonenally faster rate than fixed subscribers. But how many times have wireless operators heard the term “dumb pipes” applied to them in the last few months? What has happened in the last six months that is driving the push for thousands to sign on to sponsor, present at, exhibit at and participate in CTIA Wireless in Las Vegas, NV on March 23-26, 2010?

Google Android™ mobile technology platform, Apple and other service and product providers in the wireless industry battle for the market of APP-hungry smart phone users. Bharti Airtel has 400,000 downloads documented in the first five days its applications offering. The BBC is developing apps for Apple’s iPhone and next Blackberry and Android with content that can be personalized in areas like sports, politics, health, or technology.  Verizon has enabled its 3G smartphone users to be able to make free or inexpensive international phone calls via a joint application with Skype.

The APP Planet area in Hall 7 of GSMA Mobile World Congress 2010 was filled with mobile and wireless innovation frenzy. Be prepared for more excitement at CTIA Wireless conference’s Apps World of 30,000 square feet.

The seasoned in age and young are rushing to try and use mobile applications. Dylan Maryk, at 14 years old, creates apps. His first is a musical alarm clock, followed by an iSpy game for car travel and a Valentine’s Day service to share a hug or wink on iPhone screens.  In fact, 16-22 year olds are seen as a new market for 3G and smartphones but cost is the first issue. HTC and Telefonica announced an exclusive deal on February 17 to roll out the HTC Smart (affordably priced smart phone at ) in April 2010.

Peter Chou, CEO of HTC said, “People all over the world want smarter phones but are often discouraged by twin issues of affordability and complexity.”

A visitor at the VoIPSWITCH exhibit in the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2010 stated, “We thought it was cool when Queen Rania of Jordan used the phrase, ‘phonanthropy’ in reference to mobile + Haiti relief efforts. Everyone in our family and company has been using Skype on Nokia for almost a year now. We like the Gravity platform app for Twitte. One of us is thinking of trying a Droid.  Our market, BTW, is university research programs. The next conference we plan to attend is CTIA Wireless.”

3UK, a UK mobile operator who was first in Europe to offer a flat rate unlimited data plan and to welcome Skype. They say their Skype users make more standard international calls, send more text messages, and use more data than non-Skype users. The company also provides a service where its users can download up to 3,000 mp3s from their 3UK playlists to their cell phone to listen to offline for up to 30 days. Such a move saves its users on potential roaming or high streaming charges. 

High streaming is what happens with video also. 3G users expect mobile video because of its popularity promoted by YouTube and iTunes. Such use increases data use which has caught many mobile operators by surprise where data is often available unlimited on a flat rate. The next problem is that the majority of content that a mobile operator’s users want to view and hear is not located on the provider’s network. Find out at CTIA Wireless more about how operators can deal with these problems, whether by placing stored content closer to the user via caching, add bigger pipes, create more effective peering opportunities, and/or totally change the paradigm of operators as just pipe providers to pipe, content and service providers.

Qtel, a mobile operator in Qatar, provides mobile money services in 17 countries. They have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding for an exclusive partnership with Universal Music so the operator will be able offer unlimited music to over 53 million customers.

There’s a buying frenzy of mobile and wireless companies and services. Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat) is is on the verge pf buying a majority stake in Iraq’s Korek Telecom. Telefonica’s O2 bought Jajah in 2009. Google bought Gizmo5 (a service that included use on mobile for chat, incoming calls via DID phone numbers from 65 countries, and low cost outgoing calls as well as free calls Gizmo to Gizmo), Sabsebolo bought Jaxtr, and KDDI America has entered agreements with Locus Telecommunications, Inc. and Total Call International, Inc . to invest. Rumor has it that Bharti is seeking $8 billion USD loans to fund Zain acquisition.

Colibria and Frost & Sullivan research shows that mobile social networking market in Latin America is predicted to be  worth $900 million USD with 200 million users and African market $1.5 billion USD with 330 million users. The interest in and increasing availability and use of the mobile phone or mobile products for Internet use will spur this growth.

Mobile phones, operators, MVNOs* and service providers are becoming or giving access to digital wallets, media centers, office suites, marketplaces, health record archives and more. Consumers and SMBs are throwing away their landlines in a new desire for mobility, flexibility and anything, anywhere, anytime availability. Thousands of the greatest minds in wireless and mobile will converge on the Las Vegas Convention Center March 23-25, 2010. Sign up at http://www.ctiawireless.com.

* An MVNO is a service provider that enables mobile telephone services leasing wireless communications infrastructure for mobile handsets from third parties. They often target the needs of a specific market based on age, gender, lifestyle, hobbies, and/or geographic location.