Mobile Phone Use on the Rise

Poorer Nations Go Online on Cellphones:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122844530354182063.html

Using cellphones to surf the Internet is booming in emerging markets, showing how countries with poor fixed-line telecommunications have become important drivers of growth for mobile-technology companies.

Opera Software ASA, a Norwegian maker of Internet browsers for mobile devices, says its strongest customer growth is in places like Indonesia, Egypt and Russia.

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Anita Rachman, a 23-year-old secretary in Jakarta last year began surfing social-networking sites like Friendster and checking Internet-based email on her midrange Sony-Ericsson phone. Her bill: $25 a month, about the same as a home Internet connection. "And I'm literally online 24/7," Ms. Rachman said.

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Until recently, Web browsers on a cellphone generally have been slow and difficult to navigate. But the latest technology, which compresses files via servers before sending them to the handheld device, allows quicker Internet access.

It would be interesting to find out how many backpackers' phone can browse the Web.