Subscriptions to SMS news services in Egypt have grown from around 107,000 in January 2011 to 1.57m today, thanks to the need for news during the Arab Spring..

Stats from TA Telecom say breaking news content makes up 52 per cent of content consumed in Arab Spring countries, compared to just seven per cent in more stable countries, where entertainment information is more popular. People pay $1 or more to receive SMS news updates from TA and 57 per cent say they prefer receiving push content than having to search for headlines.

“As of July, TA Telecom now has 87 news alert services available to users, compared with 11 in January 2011, showing just how big a demand there is for this information,” said Amr Shady, CEO and co-founder of TA Telecom. “Users want, and in many cases need, to be the first to hear breaking stories as they happen, and the mobile phone provides the most reliable and convenient channel to access such information.”