The number of mobile phone users in Brazil has finally surpassed the number of fixed line users, a development market specialist has been predicting for years. According to preliminary figures provided by ANATEL, the Brazilian telecoms regulator, mobile subscribers totalled 39.3 million in August 2003 compared to 39.1 million fixed line users.
The number of mobile handset users has been increasing by about 500,000 a month in 2003. There are approximately 23 mobile terminals per 100 inhabitants in Brazil and about 8% of households have a mobile handset but not a fixed line. Costs have been an important factor. In the 1990s a new mobile subscription cost USD 1,000 but now the price hovers around BRR 200 (approximately USD 70). Fixed line services remain cheaper than mobile services, however: a call from a fixed line in Rio de Janeiro costs about USD 0.04, while a mobile call is about USD 0.14 for post-paid customers and USD 0.36 for prepaid customers. Cellular users, however, have more options to control costs.
