July 29, 2008
Latin America – The Next Big Thing or Already Here?!
, President, Mobile Marketing Association
This article was contributed by RCRWirelessNews and can also be found at HERE.
Mobile penetration in Latin America was around 66% in early 2008, well above the world average of 46%. And, over 375 million people own a mobile device in LATAM – almost 12% of the world’s mobile population of 3.1 billion. Given the diversity of the geography, the people and the technology deployment, the mobile environment is diverse across the region. However, seven countries – Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile and Peru – claim 83% of the region’s subscribers (with Brazil and Mexico accounting for over 50% of all mobile subscribers in LATAM (including the Caribbean)). (Source: Paul Budde Communication Pty Ltd)
Overall, mobile had a late start in LATAM and focused predominantly on gaining subscribers and market share, by offering plans and handset subsidization as a main competitor factor. Since 2003, mobile services have been on a dramatic rise due to the costs of deploying fixed line services and the lines to procure such services. The market is still predominantly pre-paid subscribers but these subscribers are accessing similar services to what we see here in North America. And the market is growing… quickly!
