How to make (more) money if you're a carrier

Yahoo news has an interesting piece on cellphone
subscription habits around the world with lots of data showing growth projections and global trends...just the kind
of stuff we're suckers for. So for instance, you might be surprised that 62% of the 2.25 billion subscribers
expected by 2006 will be prepaid customers. In fact, most users outside the US, Japan, South Korea, and France go
the prepaid route. This represents some interesting challenges since prepaid users spend only about one-third as
much as customers under contract...and they often switch carriers. Things will certainly get rosier for our beloved
carriers who are expected to make a "windfall" when 3G, that great panacea for all carrier woes, finally catches
on in, uh, 2010 with an expected 30 million subscribers. Some of this delay can be attributed to carriers who
support mostly prepaid customers — most of whom can't afford those costly 3G
phones. For now though, revenue from wireless data limps along at the mercy of our ability to
master text messaging which generates a full three-fourths of wireless giant Vodafone's data-based revenue. Aww,
poor carriers  — come, let's have a hug.