Penetration hits 100% in Europe

"At the end of last year, the western European mobile market hit a major milestone - it officially became 100% penetrated.

"That should mean that everyone in the region, including every pensioner and new-born baby, has signed up to a mobile phone package. But it doesn't," says Informa's Mobile Communications newsletter, which collects monthly data on mobile subscriber growth.

Informa points out that many European consumers have two or more mobile subscriptions, while some have none. The fact that there are still people in the region without mobiles, helps to explain why "in every month of 2005, the region added more net subscribers than in the corresponding month of 2004".

It says 11 of the 16 major markets in western Europe now have penetration rates above the 100% mark. The highest penetration levels at the end of the year were Luxembourg (160%), Italy (119%), Portugal (114%) and Sweden (112%). Others above 100% included Greece, the UK, Spain, Ireland, Finland, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark.
www.informatm.com