1 Billion Mobile Phone Users in China
January 5, 2020 - China will this month reach the 1 billion mark for mobile phone users, three times as many as 15 years ago. The market for mobile phones in China is bigger than Europe, US and Japan combined and about 80% of the Chinese population now has a mobile phone.
The worldwide use of mobile phones will most likely reach another significant mark later this year, when passing 5 billion mobile phone users, about 65% of the world’s population.
India is still the country adding most users in the world each month and will most likely pass China in total number of mobile phone users within the next 10 years, from their current 910 million.
China also has the most Internet users in the world, 400 million, and their impact on the Internet has been noticed significantly over the last years. One reason for this, a part from the number of users is the number of English-speaking Chinese, which has increased to almost match the native English speakers in the world.
Argument: Chinese economist Lin Yifu estimate that there will 1 billion mobile phone users in China by year 2020, up from 449 million users in October 2006.
Questions: 4G is to be introduced on the market in Japan. How many mobile users in China will be using 4G in 2020? Will the increase in English-speaking Chinese more benefit the Chinese that wants to do business abroad, or people abroad that wants to do business in China?
By Pontus Edenberg
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Comments:
Very good article.
Posted by: Raj
But what will happen to Chinese? Will everyone remain bilingual or will characters on storefronts be replaced with....?
Posted by: Mike
In my openion, the percentages will remain about the same even in 2020 as the author has noted in terms of total Cell Phone users.
Posted by: Jason
Chiense 2.0 Billion
European 1.5 Billion
Indian 1.5 Billion
African 1.0 Billion
Arabic 0.5 Billion
Other 0.2 Billion
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World 6.7 Billion People
Posted by: Race World
I live in China, and I think your prediction about mobile phones is right. But as for Chinese all speaking English, or being bilingual- dream on. While many Chinese are learning English, they usually only learn very rudimentary English. Interestingly, the most common second language in China is Mandarin Chinese, which Chinese students learn in school but is the first language of almost nobody.
Posted by: Scott
everything was good until it said 80% has a mobile phone right after it says 1 billion so let me get this straight in 12 years over 650 million people in China die? Also as it stands The U.S and the European unions has already nearly 500million mobile phone users ugh =/
Posted by: Rick
Unlikely. Like all burgeoning economic powers, shortfall is an inevitability. The Chinese economy is strong now, but it may not be later. Also, the Chinese industry is based upon cheap labor unsupported by labor unions. Should labor unions and the workers who work in the factories begin to demand larger wages, business in China would look less fruitful. Should the companies decide that labor unions in China cut too much into profit, the result will be the same as the abandonment of factories in Mexico during the nineties.
As has been proven time and again, eventually, as the standard of living rises, the people will begin to demand more, something I am not entirely sure the government of China is willing to bend that much to the people's demands without breaking themselves.
But this article may still be correct in that the technology of cell phones has become more and more integrated with cultures around the world. But in the near future cell phones may not be the measure of a strong economy, it may only be the measure of a cheapening, and a larger distribution of technology than previously known.
Also, to: Race World, you spelled Chinese wrong, there are actually just under 1.0 billion people in India, and you did not include the large remaining Asian population which includes Japan, both Koreas, Indonesia, and etc.
Posted by: the face
i agree that that was pretty funny what rick said. The 250 million people would have to be attacked or something.
Posted by: hi people
if things goes according to this news then trust me guys big companies will start using more chinese and hindi and russian languages.MNC's care about there profit not for language. 4G will be addapted by china,india and other countries if they will provide CCS in all regional language.
Posted by: rick
I give it till 2015. Technology spreads like wildfire in developing countries.
Posted by: Ben