• May 1, 2008

Nearly 1.3 billion wireless subscribers worldwide will use mobile search services by 2013, according to a new report by Juniper Research.

The study says Western Europe and North America are the regions best suited to local mobile search because of the range of online local information providers and reliable mapping data with good coverage of points of interest.

Juniper projects local search will generate 43% of cumulative mobile search advertising revenues between 2008 and 2013. Total mobile search is expected to hit $4.8 billion by 2013, although the firm warns that "advertising overload" might alienate consumers and limit adoption.

--Mark Walsh