COSTA MESA, Calif., July 15, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) today reported that the CDMA2000(r) global subscriber base surpassed 50 million in May 2003 as the CDMA industry continues to lead in 3G deployments and growth around the world.
CDMA2000 is clearly dominating the 3G market today. There are 53 commercial networks in 29 countries on six continents and approximately 17 more networks are scheduled for deployment in the second half of 2003. The number of CDMA2000 subscribers grew by 18 million in the first five months of 2003, and account for more than 99 percent of the total 3G market.
Carriers around the world are benefiting from the capacity and high-speed data advantages CDMA2000 provides. KDDI continues to lead in subscriber growth in Japan, primarily because of the strong customer demand for CDMA2000 services. KDDI is adding an average of 600,000 CDMA2000 subscribers per month and expects that 90% of its customers will have migrated to its CDMA2000 network by March 2004.
Asia is the largest market for CDMA2000 with nearly 30 million subscribers, but the North American market is growing rapidly, claiming over 20 million users. Latin America leads in number of deployments with 19 commercial networks in 12 countries throughout the region.
Several TDMA operators, including BellSouth Colombia, BellSouth Guatemala and Midwest Wireless in the U.S., migrated to CDMA2000 in the last three months. CDMA2000 offers four times more capacity than TDMA systems, which is particularly beneficial for Latin American operators who need to upgrade their networks to meet growing demand for wireless services in their markets.
"CDMA2000 has taken a commanding lead in the global 3G market," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "The CDG expects CDMA2000 to sustain its dominant position as new networks are deployed and carriers continue to rapidly roll out services."
A number of operators are migrating to CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the next generation high-speed data technology capable of delivering rates up to 2.4 Mbps. Five operators in Asia, North and Latin Americas have already deployed it commercially and four more, including Verizon and KDDI, will launch by the end of the year. With average data speeds of 300-600 kbps, 1xEV-DO offers access to the Internet and Intranets at speeds comparable with any fixed-line broadband solution, such as cable and DSL. In South Korea, SK Telecom announced its latest 1xEV-DO service: real-time video conferencing, while KTF offers streaming video on demand, including TV broadcasting, music videos, sport clips and customized content.
About the CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a nonprofit trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The 110 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless operators and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact Valerie Christopherson of the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, ext. 14, e-mail vchristopherson@bockpr.com, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
Note to editors: cdmaOne is a trademark of the CDG. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA).