COSTA MESA, Calif., Aug. 22, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) reported today that the number of CDMA2000(r) (3G) subscribers grew by 17 million in Q2 2005 to reach 185.6 million worldwide. In the first six months of 2005, CDMA2000 added more than 39 million new users and 73 million since June 2004. In addition, the CDG announced that CDMA is growing at a rate of 27% annually and garnered 13.6 million new users in the last quarter and close to 58 million in the past year, bringing the worldwide CDMA subscriber base to more than 270 million people. Close to 68% of all CDMA users now access CDMA2000 3G services.
"3G CDMA technologies have added more than 50 million new users so far in 2005, and now serve 214 million people across six continents," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "By the end of the year, more than a quarter of a billion people in developed and developing countries will have access to CDMA2000 and WCDMA advanced wireless services."
In North America, the CDMA subscriber base surpassed the 100 million subscriber mark; 47% of all wireless users in the region use CDMA technologies and 69% of them (nearly 80 million people) access CDMA2000. In addition, there is increased uptake of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO broadband services as coverage of EV-DO expands and as more handsets and services become available. Five North American operators have already deployed EV-DO, including Verizon Wireless, and recently, Sprint.
Asia-Pacific added 6.7 million CDMA users in the second quarter, bringing that region's total subscriber base to 116.2 million. Asia-Pacific remains the largest region for CDMA technologies, representing 43% of the total CDMA subscriber base worldwide. The region also leads in CDMA2000 penetration: 79% of CDMA subscribers, or 92 million people, use CDMA2000 3G systems, and more than 8% (15.6 million) of them subscribe to CDMA2000 1xEV-DO advanced broadband services.
Latin America added 14.4 million CDMA users over the last year, which brings the total number to 49.2 million. This represents 41% annual growth rate and maintains a 24.6% market share in the region. Close to 15 million, or 24.5%, of all CDMA subscribers in Latin America now access CDMA2000 3G technologies.
CDMA2000 operators across all regions have reported significant growth in data revenue. Japan's KDDI ended the quarter with 4.32 million 1xEV-DO users, or 22% of their base. 1xEV-DO subscribers generate 41% more revenue than other subscribers, and data contributes more than 34% of their ARPU. As a result, data revenue has risen to contribute 25.7% to an average ARPU.
Verizon Wireless reported a 50% year-over-year increase to more than 19.1 million data users; data now contributes 7% of the operator's total revenue, compared to 4.2% one year ago. In June, Sprint had 8.1 million data users (30% of its total base), including 7 million (26%) on PCS Vision. Data now contributes more than 10% of total revenue for the operator.
CDMA and CDMA2000 statistics are available on at www.cdg.org.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is by far the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 145 CDMA2000 commercial networks, including 22 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems, and 49 more are being deployed. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for cdmaOne(tm), TDMA, analog and Greenfield operators, and is deployed in the 450, 800, 1700, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands. More than 860 CDMA2000 devices are available on the market.
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.
CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA).