Over half a billion mobile phones in China...

...and not a single ring tone that isn't irritating.

The Ministry of Information Industry is, according to the People's Daily Online, expecting Chinese mobile phone user numbers to pass through the 500 million level this year. At the end of last year, the 460 million mobiles in China still meant that only 35% of the population had one.

Fixed line connections, according to the same report, are dropping as people rely increasingly on a combination of broadband Internet and their mobile phones for communications. Take note publishers.

As the PanAsianBiz blog says of the same story:

And if that doesn't scare you....think about all those people learning how to use their new cell phone AND learning how to drive at the same time!!

Update: I was only joking when I mentioned ringtones, but that's clearly a great business when there are that many phones. The BBC is now reporting that "A Chinese wireless content firm has said it is considering making a $77.9m (£39.9m) bid for UK-based mobile phone games and ringtones firm Monstermob". The Chinese company concerned is Linktone from Shanghai.