FORBES -- May 22 -- Big phone carriers seem to be itching to get a ride on consumers' enthusiasm for social networks. Comcast agreed to acquire online address book service Plaxo on May 14, for an undisclosed sum. On May 16, U.K.-based carrier Vodafone spent $49m on its first mobile Internet purchase: Zyb, a private Danish company, which, like Plaxo, helps users manage their contacts with social networking features. Most major carriers already have deals with large social networks. AT&Thas offered a mobile version of MySpace since 2006 and also supports a mobile version of Facebook. Mobile-specific social networks like airG and MocoSpace say they have millions of users worldwide. And Nokia is pouring money into Ovi, its own brand of Internet service.

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