COSTA MESA, Calif., Feb. 18, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) reported today that CDMA added a record 14.5 million subscribers in 4Q 2003 to total 188 million users worldwide. In 2003, the CDMA subscriber base grew by more than 42 million users, or 29 percent, representing the highest growth for any leading cellular technology, and significantly higher than the 20 percent gain for the whole industry. CDMA2000(r) further strengthened its leadership in 3G by adding more than 10.7 million users in the quarter to total 75.4 million, or 97 percent of all 3G subscribers. Nearly 40 percent of the global CDMA subscriber base uses CDMA2000 networks, up from 20 percent one year ago. There are 4.4 million CDMA2000 1xEV-DO advanced users.
"The commercial success of CDMA2000 greatly contributed to the phenomenal growth of CDMA worldwide," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "The spectral efficiencies and high-speed data capabilities of CDMA2000 allow carriers to offer affordable voice services and introduce advanced applications that in turn stimulate demand for wireless services and enable them to capture larger market share."
CDMA2000 leads in 3G deployments with 85 commercial networks in 40 countries on six continents.
Asia Pacific is the largest region for CDMA with 78.3 million users, and fastest growing at 43 percent annually -- fueled by phenomenal growth in China and India. In India, the CDMA subscriber base grew 2,400 percent after the introduction of CDMA2000 last year.
Asia also remains the largest and most advanced market for CDMA2000. There are 18 CDMA2000 and five CDMA2000 1xEV-DO commercial networks in 12 countries servicing 46.3 million CDMA2000 users or, 60 percent of the total CDMA subscribers in the region. Demand for advanced CDMA2000 1xEV-DO services is growing exponentially; the number of users increased from 174,000 at the end of 2002 to 4.38 million in 2003. In Korea, SK Telecom's CDMA2000 1xEV-DO base represents 25 percent of its CDMA2000 users.
In Japan, driven by high demand for its "au" services, KDDI continues to capture market share from its competitors. In December, the carrier gained 289,600 subscribers, more than double the number of subscribers added by their nearest competitors.
In the Americas, CDMA carriers added nearly 18 million new subscribers in 2003, bringing the total number to 108.2 million. CDMA will continue to capture greater market share, and according to In Stat/MDR, it will become the dominant technology in the region this year with 160 million users.
CDMA expanded its leadership in North America, as the number of subscribers in 2003 increased by 12.7 million to reach 75.2 million, with market share growing from 43 percent to 49 percent. Today, more than 35 percent of CDMA subscribers in North America are serviced by 18 CDMA2000 and two 1xEV-DO networks.
Latin America and the Caribbean have more than 32 million CDMA users and 39 operators in 20 countries. Latin America has the largest number of CDMA2000 networks commercially deployed, with 26 CDMA2000 1X and two CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks in 16 countries. Two of the leading carriers in the region, VIVO and BellSouth International, have migrated to CDMA2000. The number of subscribers moving to CDMA2000 is growing exponentially; the base increased by 1,000 percent in 2003.
"CDMA2000 will continue to drive growth and innovation in 2004 and beyond," said LaForge. "We expect the CDMA2000 subscriber base will reach 100 million in 3Q 2004. At least 15 additional networks will be deployed this year and carriers will migrate to the high-speed data capabilities of 1xEV-DO and 1xEV-DV. We also see interest in CDMA2000 at 450 MHz, which will provide significant opportunities for the technology in new markets for CDMA."
CDMA subscriber statistics and CDMA2000 deployment information are available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
About the CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The more than 100 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. 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.