BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov. 4, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) reported today that 10 CDMA2000 networks were deployed and more than 10 million new CDMA2000(r) users were added in the third quarter 2003. At the end of September, there were 71 commercial CDMA2000 networks in 36 countries on 6 continents serving more than 64.5 million subscribers. Today's announcement was made at the 3G World Congress held Nov. 3-7, 2003 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
In Asia, the leading region for high-technology trends, CDMA2000 clearly leads the wireless market with 40 million users, cutting-edge applications and slick, feature-rich devices. There are 27 CDMA2000 commercial networks in 19 countries throughout the region, including four CDMA2000 1xEV-DO advanced high-speed data networks. More than 60 percent of Asian CDMA subscribers use 3G technologies and CDMA2000 penetration will only increase; KDDI in Japan predicts that 90% of its subscribers will use CDMA2000 by March 2004 (two years into KDDI's 3G service offering).
"Asia is the most competitive market for wireless services in the world and CDMA2000 operators are clearly ahead," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "One example is Japan, where the top three operators have launched 3G networks and KDDI, with its "au" services, is growing faster and generating greater revenue than its competitors."
CDMA2000 is also rapidly expanding in China and India, the largest markets for wireless. China Unicom expanded its CDMA2000 1X coverage to major markets and in India, CDMA2000 is growing by 1.5 million users per month, capturing the largest share of new subscribers for any technology, including GSM, which has been available in India for more than seven years.
Asian operators were quick to capitalize on the high-speed data capabilities of CDMA2000 to offer advanced applications and services such as video on demand, (VOD), music on demand (MOD), video phone and TV broadcasting. For example, SK Telecom's June services deliver mobile movies, music videos, live traffic information and real-time news. KDDI offers video downloads of up to 1.5 Mbytes or 3 minutes long, and their EZ Channel services allow subscribers to attach video clips, animation, photos and sounds to text.
CDMA2000 users in Asia have the most advanced handsets on the market today with screen resolution in the millions of pixels, video cameras, GPS and build-in television tuners that can receive TV broadcasts.
Tremendous demand for these advanced services is driving growth and incremental revenue for operators. KDDI reached 10 million CDMA2000 users in September, just 18 months after the launch of its 3G services, and beat NTT DoCoMo in net subscriber growth in the first half of 2003. Strong sales of its 3G "au" services and higher-than-expected ARPU have boosted KDDI's net profit estimate by 34% for 2003. SK Telecom in Korea reported that revenue from data services surged 75% percent year-on-year in 3Q 2003 and now contributes to 15% of total SKT revenue.
The 3G World Congress, which will be held November 3-7, 2003 in Bangkok, will feature many of the leading carriers, equipment vendors, content providers, application developers from Asia and around the world sharing their experiences with CDMA2000.
For more information on the 3G World Congress or for additional subscriber statistics and CDMA2000 deployment information, please visit the CDG's Web site located at http://www.cdg.org.
The CDMA Development Group is a 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 carriers 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. The subscriber numbers in this release are estimates provided by third parties on a quarterly basis and have not been independently verified by CDG. 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.