October 17, 2005
Taiwan's mobile phone service finds good fortune in fortune-telling
Fortunes telling messages are transmitted to Taiwan's 23 million mobile phone users on a grand scale with more than 250,000 texts transmitted every month, writes China Post.
Chunghwa Telecom now beams out 100,000 text messages a month covering tarot readings, astrology and its lucky day service, which let's you know if serendipity will strike.
For a standing charge of NT$60 (US$1.80) a month and NT$12 (US$0.36) for each text, the island's mobile phone users can have their fortune told on the way to work, school or before a night out on the town. That compares with NT$4,000 a pop for a visit to a top soothsayer, and even NT$300 for a consultation with a side street crank.
Although the fortune-by-phone concept was introduced four years ago, it failed to expand. Then Chungwha started rolling out its personalised service earlier this year, which requires customers to hand over more detailed information such as the day and time of birth.
It was an instant hit among the younger population, says Laura Pan, of Chungwha's mobile services division. "Customers want to know what their own fortune is much like going to an expert at a temple, not rely on a generic response, which was what most companies provided," she said.
Now, rivals have upped the fortune-telling ante. Far Eastern's I-style "515 Psychic Service," offers fortunes for romance, career, and wealth, as well as dress recommendations for improving your luck, while Taiwan Cellular uses some of the island's most famous astrology and tarot readers.
A survey three years ago estimated the industry was worth NT$5 billion, but that could well have topped 8 billion Taiwan dollars with the advent of mobile-phone astrology, according to industry watchers.
Related:
-- After Phone Sex, China Targets Phone Fortune Telling.
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