Mobile phone: increase or dicrease ?

Italy is the largest mobile phone market in Europe with a high penetration rates which is far above the EU average. Why this penetration number is constantly increasing ? Firstly the growth of the mobile phone market is supported by Italian population who are very keen to adopt new technologies. Secondly the increase of mobile phone users is soliciting by the mobile operators themselves which are promoting the prepaid SIM card.

The mobile phone sector, dominated by two of the largest mobile operators in Europe Telecom Italia Mobile ( TIM) and Vodafone Italy, will soon reach a saturation point of this economic growth :
In 2007, the number of Italian mobile subscribers raised by 9%, to reach more than 80 million and forecasts are expecting more than 82 millions of mobile users for 2008. Other studies also are pointing out a significant number of inactive prepaid users which lead us think we are close to a saturation market.

Italian Mobile phone market will face to new business challenges for the next five years in order to maintain a constant increase and not undergo the international crisis.