China seen top at texting, lndia drives mobile growth
LONDON (Reuters) - Cellphone users in China sent 429 billion text messages in 2006, while India added more mobile subscribers in the year than Britain had in total, as the two countries joined Brazil and Russia in driving growth in the sector.
A report by Britain's media and telecommunications watchdog Ofcom said mobile phones had driven most of the communications sector's growth and accounted for 53 percent of total telecoms revenue.
In India, the number of new mobile subscriptions doubled to 150 million during the year -- an increase of more than Britain's total of 70 million mobile connections.
However only 14 percent of the Indian population had a mobile connection, showing its remaining growth potential.
In China, mobile users sent 429 billion text messages, an equivalent of 967 per user, more than any other country.
The findings were part of the research included in the Ofcom International Communications Report which looked at the 873 billion pound ($1,787 billion) global television, radio and telecommunications sector in 2006 to analyze growing trends.
It found Britain had the highest take-up of digital television and the joint highest digital radio coverage of the 12 countries surveyed -- Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Canada and the United States.
It also looked at Brazil, Russia, India and China as they are in different stages of development.
Broadband take-up increased in Britain with over half of all households connected at the end of 2006, putting Britain slightly ahead of the United States for the first time.
In the television sector, Japanese and U.S. viewers spent the most time watching TV, both averaging 4-1/2 hours a day in 2006, while the U.S. also led the take-up of high definition TV, with 10 percent of homes capable of showing HDTV in 2006.
Internet-based TV or IPTV was most popular in France, with 1.5 million subscribers.
(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by David Holmes)
