China Mobile Microblog Users Reach 66 Mln

Sohu IT, 7/04/11

Hang Guoqiang, head of China Mobile's (NYSE: CHL; 0941.HK) mobile internet base and general manager of Guangdong Mobile's data division operations center, recently disclosed that as of May 2011, registered users of the operator's Yidong Weibo ("Mobile Microblog," formerly 139 Shuike) microblogging platform reached 65.85 mln, with monthly active users reaching 14.8 mln, and daily postings reaching 2 mln.

As of May 2011, the Mobile Market app store had 76.96 mln registered users and peak monthly downloads of nearly 100 mln, with apps from 3,859 corporate app developers and 2.23 mln individual developers. 40,000 new registered users are driven to Mobile Market by UC Mobile's UCWeb mobile browser each day. Hang said that Mobile Market faces a number of challenges, including adapting applications for the myriad different platforms and handset models in use, a lack of quality applications, poor copyright protection, and user reluctance to pay for applications.

Hang said the mobile internet base aims to achieve profitability by 2012. China Mobile headquarters is currently directing the integration of its Fetion mobile IM software, mail.10086.cn mobile e-mail, and Mobile Microblog, and is formulating a plan to eliminate overlapping features of each platform.

Hang added that Guangdong province had 55 mln mobile internet users in 2010, with annual growth of 30% and penetration above 60%, accounting for one-sixth of all mobile internet users nationwide. Annual mobile internet traffic volume in the province averages more than 50% growth, with monthly total bandwidth usage reaching 1,680 TB, accounting for more than 25% of total mobile internet bandwidth usage nationwide.

Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "Rumor: China Mobile to Merge Mobile Internet Businesses" MD 6/30/11 issue.

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