16th July 2004 - As US wireless carriers prepare to launch enhancements to their mobile music offerings, a recent Consumer Mobility Study by In-Stat/MDR (http://www.instat.com) finds that 11.4% of US mobile subscribers are very or extremely interested in moving beyond basic ringtones and purchasing more full-featured music/audio services for their wireless phones including music and news/talk content available as downloadable content or on demand. The high-tech market research firm believes that, while this mobile multimedia category is still in its formative stages, wireless subscribers who expressed an interest in mobile music and audio are high-value users with attractive demographic and wireless spending characteristics.

Mobile music and audio services in the US are beginning to evolve beyond the familiar, tinny sounds of monophonic ringtones. While most wireless subscribers are familiar with the concept of customizing their ringtones, awareness of more robust mobile music services is low due to the nascent state of carrier deployments. However, as operator deployments ramp up in 2004 and beyond, consumer awareness and interest levels will increase. With mobile data services entering the mainstream, wireless multimedia is one of the next big growth areas for the cellular business.