More cellphones than people in Norway, Lithuania (Norway)

Times-Guardian (Zambia) ^ | May 9, 2005 | not specified

[franksolich]

Oslo, Norway--More cellphones are ringing in Norway than there are people to answer them, as subscriptions soar, officials figures showed on Monday.

And the Norwegians are not the only cellphone enthusiasts.

On the same day, Lithuania also reported that the number of cellphone subscribers surpassed the population of the Baltic country.

In Norway, which boasts one of the world's highest mobile penetration rates, there were 4,7-million registered cellphone subscriptions in 2004, indicating that 102% of the country's population has become portable, the Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority said in its annual report.

The large number of cellphone subscriptions has taken its toll on fixed lines in the Scandinavian country, where more than one in six households, or 17% of the population, last year said they did not have a home phone.

By April 1 this year, 3,7-million people in Lithuania were cellphone subscribers, which was more than the national population of 3,4-million, the communications regulatory authority said.

Year-on-year, the number of cellphone subscribers grew by 48% in March, and by 7% from the beginning of 2005.

[franksolich]

You know, being what I am (deaf), the subject of "communication" has always been of passionate interest to me.

I recall one office meeting I attended (property management; I was the property manager), where there were five other people present, everybody talking.

In addition, there were three telephones in the room, four cellular telephones, a FAX machine, three pagers, and the internet (for e-mail).

All of these people talking, all these means of communication--but as it turned out, I was the only person there who knew what was going on.

There's a lot of people who simply can't communicate, no matter how good the tools are, available to them.

[franksolich]

Ping for the Norway ping list.

[Kurt_Hectic]

the nordic countries have for a long time been leading in producing and consuming telecommunications (Nokia/Ericsson). But the gap to the rest of the world is closing fast. Just some years ago you could hear giggles in norwegian cinemas when the american movie-caracter pulled out his hopelessly antiquated "meat-bone-phone" and made a call, but from what I've seen for the past few years the american cell-phones now looks like those we got in Norway. It also took a long time before SMS was regularly used in the US but now everybody sends them I think...

[NeoCaveman]

By April 1 this year, 3,7-million people in Lithuania were cellphone subscribers, which was more than the national population of 3,4-million, the communications regulatory authority said.

Look like they found 300,000 missing Lithuanians.

[xsmommy]

where are they hiding our people?

[NeoCaveman]

I'm not sure, but atleast they have phones.

[xsmommy]

did you see the Lith president on Sat AM with Pres. Bush? well spoken man.

[NeoCaveman]

I didn't see it.

[mollynme]

My Norwegian nephew was incredulous when I told him I only use my cell phone for emergencies and can't use text messaging on it. I think everyone in his family (except for the baby) has their own cell phone (& I'm not so sure about the baby - LOL).