By Serene Luo

CELLPHONE users could soon see a flood of new programs for the tiny screen as companies buoyed by plummeting charges for data downloads trot out everything from social networking applications to online maps.

Over the past week, firms at Singapore's annual CommunicAsia trade show unveiled several of these programs. They are seen as potentially huge money-makers, given that more Asians have cellphones than computers.

Lonely Planet, known for its travel guidebooks, showed off software that helps travellers find hotels and restaurants and share reviews of the places they have visited.

An Israeli company, Road-Guard, demonstrated a program that turns a cellphone into a device that can help motorists plan their route better. It claims drivers who use it can reduce their fuel bill by 25 per cent.

Although cellphone programs are not new, they are becoming more popular as telecom companies lower the price of downloading data over the Internet. That has encouraged software developers, who either charge for applications or earn revenue from advertising on their web-enabled software. With more than three billion cellphones worldwide, they are eager to be among the first to enter the market.

When 3G was first introduced here a few years ago, experts had similarly high expectations. But high download charges and a lack of content resulted in slow uptake.

Mr Alex Chau, a senior research manager with research firm IDC Asia-Pacific, said new applications will probably not face the same fate. He said data charges are likely to drop as operators vie for new customers, especially since users can now switch telcos without changing their phone numbers.

'Singapore still has some room to drop (prices),' the Hong Kong-based analyst said.

Telcos are also likely to promote data usage to boost profit margins that have been thinned by cut-rate prices on voice calls.

Exhibitors told The Straits Times they expect interest in these services to explode as downloading data becomes even cheaper.

The cost of downloading has already fallen by about 80 per cent, according to one industry player.

'(Just) a year ago, people were fearful of data charges because they were prohibitive,' said Mr Dannie Francis, chief executive of Singapore-based mobile services firm Cellcity.

serl@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times on June 20, 2008.