Taiwan's KG Telecom has said that the number of KGT i-mode subscribers has broken the first critical figure of 100,000 to indicate a meaningful market size, significantly surpassing its goal for the first half of this year. In the second half of this year, KGT is planning to further launch a series of such heavyweight Java applications as i-appli, i-area and MMS, in order to provide consumers with more diversified and richer services. It is predicted that KGT will reach its 200,000 goal of i-mode subscribers for 2003 by the end of the year.
Leslie Koo, Chairman/CEO of KGT, emphasized that the breaking of 100,000 in i-mode subscribers was an important milestone for both KGT and the entire mobile communications market in Taiwan.
Mr. Koo further said that among all i-mode mobile communications operators (except those in Japan), KGT is one of the highest in terms of the ratio of i-mode subscribers against total mobile phone subscribers, indicating that KGT is one of the most successful i-mode mobile communications operator out of Japan. Since its launch in last June, i-mode has performed marvelously. To date, the contents of i-mode services have been divided into 14 categories, the official websites have doubled to reach 150 from the initial figure of 87, and the privately constructed voluntary sites have been over 650.
In terms of preference of i-mode services, the ratio between male and female i-mode subscribers is rather even, which is quite different from that found in general hi-tech products, in which males usually dominate the users base, indicating that i-mode is equally welcomed by male and female consumers on the market. i-mode subscribers mainly fall in the age bracket of 20-34, accounting for 70% of the total i-mode subscribers, indicating the powerful attraction of i-mode to young people. Besides, i-mode subscribers aged 35 and above are increasing, accounting for higher percentage of the total subscribers. Being able to capture the favor of those aged 35 and above, who are usually demanding in life tastes, once again indicates the wide recognition of premium i-mode services and the penetration of i-mode into a variety of age ranks."
Posted to the site on 2nd June 2003
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/8975.php