COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 8, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) reported today that the CDMA2000(R) subscriber base surpassed 127 million users in September and is growing at 5 million per month. Driven by the high demand for CDMA2000 services, the CDMA industry as a whole experienced a record growth of 14.3 million new users to end the quarter with 227 million subscribers. With 30 percent annual growth, CDMA continues to outpace other leading technologies.
"The CDMA2000 momentum continues, and is setting the pace for the 3G market and changing the landscape of the wireless industry," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "The rapid adoption of CDMA2000 across all regions worldwide, demonstrates the market potential for 3G CDMA technologies. As the CDMA2000 base continues to grow and WCDMA deployments accelerate, CDMA will capture greater market share and become the dominant wireless platform."
Asia-Pacific remains the largest and fastest-growing region for CDMA with 96 million users, or 42 percent of total CDMA subscribers. Korea is the largest market for CDMA (36 million users), followed by China (25 million) and Japan (18 million). CDMA is also experiencing great success in India where the subscriber base grew to over 10 million, and now accounts for more than 22 percent of the market. More than 68 percent of CDMA subscribers in Asia use 3G CDMA2000, and in Japan and Korea, 87 percent of the CDMA base uses CDMA2000.
CDMA has expanded its leadership in North America, adding nearly 17 million users to reach 88 million and capturing 47 percent market share. More than 62 percent of CDMA subscribers in the region have access to CDMA2000 networks. CDMA2000 operators report a significant increase in the number of data users; Sprint for example, has 7.2 million data customers (or 31 percent of their base).
The number of CDMA subscribers in Latin America and the Caribbean has reached 39 million, representing a 28 percent increase from the previous year. Today, one in four wireless subscribers in the region utilizes CDMA. With the rapid deployment of CDMA2000 systems in the region, an increasing number of CDMA users have access to the most advanced voice and data services.
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 the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030 or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.