Mobile data usage is finally catching on, despite its high costs: AT&T's revenue from mobile data services rose 52% in the second-quarter compared to the year-earlier period, MediaPost reports, to $2.5 billion:

"The wireless giant said revenues from mobile Internet use had doubled and services such as e-mail, text-messaging and data access each had more than 50% growth."

The report also said that 18% of AT&T's contract customers had smartphones, up from 8% last year; the average revenue per user (ARPU) for these is roughly double the company average. Remember that AT&T is also the sole provider for a certain news-making cell phone as well.