AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Mobile phone users around the world spent $400
million on pornographic pictures and video in 2004, an amount that is
expected to rise to $5 billion by 2010, despite the tiny screen sizes,
a survey found on Thursday.
The adult entertainment sector was one of the first media industries
to take advantage of the World Wide Web, and its customers were the
among the first to get high-speed Internet access for downloading
X-rated films.
In mobile communications, however, pornography might not do as well as
on the fixed-line Internet, because the screens are small and download
prices charged by telecoms operators are high, research group Strategy
Analytics said in a report.
"In 2010 we estimate that expenditure on mobile adult content will
represent just 5 percent of total end-user spend on mobile content
services," said analyst Nitesh Patel.
"We expect services that are built around sports, music and media to
perform better, because they appeal to a wider audience of users," he
added. In addition, there is value in offering news bulletins or a
recently scored goal on a mobile screen.
Still, the $5 billion in porn revenues by 2010 is $4 billion more than
Strategy Analytics had forecast until recently. It has upgraded its
estimates, because adult entertainment businesses are aggressively
building services, and customers are buying.
Playboy and rival Private Media Group have geared up their offerings,
and many mobile phone makers are busy implementing strategies to make
sure no subscribers aged under 18 years will be able to access x-rated
services.
In addition, one in every two phones sold in 2005 had bright color
screens, which will rise to four out of five by 2010.
In the meantime, anecdotal evidence from countries that have a
technological edge shows interest from consumers. South Korea 's SK
Telecom (017670.KS) said in late 2003 that 23 percent of the traffic
over its higher speed mobile network was adult content.
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[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Who was it once who said here that the
internet of the 21st century consists of porn stuff and TELECOM Digest
mostly? I know I get _so tired_ of zapping porn each day from my
computers I am almost becoming numb from it. And I still say if you
actually want porn, you don't need to bother paying for it, just use
the Porn Worm program I have announced here a couple times, start it
running, go off to bed, and when you wake up in the morning your
computer will be over run by it ( http://porn-worm.us.tf ). The worm
never quits finding it until/unless you stop it. PAT]
Lisa Minter (lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com)