Canada lags far behind Europe and Asia in the mobile market, but is ‘moving forward,’ according to Claude Galipeau, speaking to industry delegates at a panel discussion in Toronto on Friday.

‘The carriers are working hard to increase adoption by users of new data… you’ll continue to see more services coming out beyond ringtones and news to make it more attractive,’ said Galipeau, the former SVP of digital media at Alliance Atlantis, after the (Ad)ventures in Mobile event.

Most mobile users remain very traditional in the way they use their phones, said guest speaker Gavin Newman, executive producer at Virgin Media Television in the U.K., who suggested that new technologically advanced products such as Apple’s iPhone might prompt users to adopt more services.

‘People will be more likely to consume more content when these phones become more readily available,’ he said, adding that the usability of the phone differs from others on the market.

On the topic of monetizing mobile services, Adrienne Clapperton of Toronto-based interactive television channel Bite TV offered that short-form content is still the best way to keep mobile users interested.

‘There’s not much of a market for content over five minutes… people want instant gratification,’ she said, noting that sex, music and games remain the most popular form of content for Bite TV’s mostly 18-34 male demographic.

Galipeau believes changes are needed when it comes to how much users are charged for mobile content, noting that pricing is directed at the business user and not the everyday consumer.

‘It needs to be cheapened and better packaged with all-you-can-eat bundles,’ he said.

Other speakers at the event included Andrew Osmak, SVP of business development at Lavalife, and Derek van der Plaat, CEO of Jambo Mobile Solutions and SilverBirch. The event was organized by the trade organization Interactive Ontario.