Halfway around the world, there’s another telecom who is reaping the rewards of being an exclusive distributor of the 3G iPhone.
Softbank Mobile in Japan has experienced improved data usage from their subscribers which can, in part, be associated to Apple’s mobile phone. Despite net profit sliding 11.5%, operating profit rose to ¥180 billion or $1.85 billion. Thanks to the iPhone, the company managed to pull in more mobile subscribers and because of its dependence on data connectivity, revenue from such services helped in achieving record-high levels in operating profit.
This is a prime example of what the iPhone can bring to a telecom firm. Telecoms should treat the iPhone as a way to lure in more customers by offering it at reasonable price so that they can get more income from data service usage. Profit from the device itself is only secondary to the added revenue the company will receive from data services that the iPhone greatly relies on. This is what telecom companies should realize if and when they decide to offer the 3G iPhone.
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