The European Union boasts more than 300 million mobile phone users, after a surprising surge in the 15-member states' market last year pushed the share of mobile phone subscribers beyond 80% of the population. The figures reflect a wider recovery in the European market for electronic communications, with broadband services and digital television also recording healthy growth rates in the year to August 1. The data will be presented to EU ministers as early as next week in the European Commission's annual report on the state of the telecom market, a draft of which has been obtained by the Financial Times.
