The World Cup, which starts tomorrow, will generate a mobile spending boom among visiting supporters, according to research from Informa Telecoms & Media. Fans in Germany for the tournament will spend a combined total of 36.5 million Euros (25 million), on mobile calls, text and video messages, the company says, with the estimated 1 million  fans spending an average of 36.5 Euros each on mobile voice and data during their stay.
“Recent price cuts announced by operators such as Orange and  Vodafone are going to benefit fans of teams inside the European  Union, but its worth remembering that 21 of the teams in the tournament are from non-European countries says Mark Newman, Chief Research Officer at Informa Telecoms & Media. They will be paying  a lot more to call home than European supporters. A Brazilian  fan will be charged as much as 3.50 Euros per minute to call Brazil from Germany – three times what it will cost a European supporter. Many may opt for purchasing local SIM cards or other alternative roaming solutions, as advocated by tourist boards and some mobile operators,”
The assessment is based on roaming usage patterns and pricing trends in retail and wholesale roaming prices that are examined in the forthcoming Global Mobile Roaming Strategic Research report published by Informa Telecoms & Media. A typical roamer is expected to send 8 text messages, make 10 voice calls, generate a single data session, possibly to send an MMS, and  receive 6 calls during their visit. The research forms part of an Informa reoprt, Global Mobile Roaming, which is scheduled for publication in Q3 2006.