Zoo Station

Some interesting recent statistics comparing India and China cell phone users:

Mobile phone users in India talk a lot more than their Chinese counterparts. But, the average revenue per user (ARPU) in India continues to be much lower than that in China.

This indicated that fierce competition in the cellular sector had slashed mobile tariffs to a greater extent in India than in China, said a Telecom Regulatory Authority study.

In 2004, Indian mobile phone customers used their phones for an average of 330 minutes a month, compared with 297 minutes by Chinese mobile phone users.

The usage patterns of both pre- and post-paid customers in India were higher than that of their Chinese counterparts, the study said.

The ARPU for Indian cellular operators was $9.04 in 2004, while Chinese telecom companies generated $9.69 per user a month, the study said.

Statistics for SMS use were not mentioned, but it would be interesting to see some comparisons of India and China, re: messaging.