COSTA MESA, Calif., Sept. 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) reported today that in June the total number of CDMA subscribers in the Americas reached 149.6 million. In North America, the CDMA user base surpassed 100 million and in Latin America, CDMA had 49.2 million users growing at an annual rate of 41 percent. More than 61 percent of CDMA subscribers in the Americas access 3G CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO services.
"CDMA is a leading technology in the Western Hemisphere, with dominant market share in North America and a 25 percent share of the rapidly expanding Latin America market," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "CDMA2000(r) is the 3G platform in the region. The majority of CDMA operators have deployed CDMA2000 1X and many of them have upgraded, or are in the process of upgrading, to broadband 1xEV-DO. Close to 100 million subscribers in cities and remote areas across the region are using the most advanced CDMA-based wireless technologies available today."
There are 82 CDMA operators in 23 countries in the Americas, and 56 of them have deployed CDMA2000 technologies. 12 operators in Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, the U.S. and Venezuela have launched 1xEV-DO, and 11 more are currently in the process of upgrading their networks.
CDMA2000 operators in the Americas are leaders in data services in their markets and offer the most advanced services -- picture messaging, audio and video downloads (including TV broadcasts), 3G gaming and other entertainment applications. In many markets, operators are using CDMA2000 to provide access to the Internet as an alternative to fixed broadband access.
CDMA2000 operators are aggressively capitalizing on the opportunities that 3G technologies offer. They are expanding into new markets via MVNO agreements and are targeting high revenue-generating enterprise users with 1xEV-DO broadband access.
The leading CDMA2000 operators from the Americas and around the world will discuss their experiences and future plans beyond 3G at the 2005 3G CDMA Americas Congress, September 12-14, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Florida. For more information on the Congress, visit www.cdma-americas.com.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is by far the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 144 CDMA2000 commercial networks, including 22 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems, and 54 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.
More information on CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
About 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.