NEW DELHI, India, Sept. 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) today announced that CDMA2000(r) operators in India have added an unprecedented 1.77 million net subscribers for the month of August. This brings the total number of CDMA wireless subscribers in India to 36.7 million; CDMA2000 accounts for nearly 30 percent of the total wireless subscriber base in the country. Tata Teleservices and Reliance Telecom continue to be the big players with a combined 34.5 million subscribers.
Also, for the very first time, India nosed ahead of China, with regards to net subscriber additions, by adding more than six million net mobile subscribers in August. As a result, both Tata and Reliance are preparing for the growth prospects going forward. Reliance announced a two million unit handset deal with Nokia and launched the Nokia 1255, an entry-level stylish phone at a retail price of $45 dollars (approx. Rs.1999).
Both Tata and Reliance now offer mid- and high-level phones, which are R-UIM (removable user identity modules) enabled. CDMA2000 offers several advantages, including: open standards, interoperability, economies of scale, affordable handsets, seamless global roaming, post and prepaid solutions, and a large selection of rich and versatile value-added services.
BSNL, an incumbent operator in India, also awarded a large CDMA2000 fixed wireless terminal (FWT) contract to ITI, in a strategic alliance with ZTE, to provide an additional 2.5 million wireless telephone lines.
The 3G spectrum allocation recommendations from TRAI, the regulator in India, are likely to be completed by the end of September. This may lead to greater growth for CDMA in India. In most all growth markets, operators eventually deploy spectrally efficient air interface technologies, like 3G, to support the increased demand for voice and high-speed data services from their consumers and enterprise customers. These services require large amounts of bandwidth to ensure sufficient capacity, data throughput, and a satisfactory end-user experience. CDMA2000 has at least a two-to-three year lead over other wireless technologies in delivering these important services.
Meanwhile, in India's neighboring countries of Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, the number of CDMA2000 operators nearly doubled in the past year. The new entrants were: Onetel Communications (Bangladesh), RanksTel (Bangladesh), Tele Barta (Bangladesh), Dhaka Telephone (Bangladesh), Nepal Telecom (Nepal), DVCOM (Pakistan), TriTel Services (Sri Lanka), and SLT (Sri Lanka). The operators in Nepal added 280,000 CDMA subscribers in August, with the cumulative base touching 1.77 million subscribers. In Pakistan, the operators have connected more than 1 million people to their CDMA WLL networks. More growth in CDMA operators and subscribers is expected in this region.
More information on CDMA2000 handsets is available at www.cdg.org.
About CDMA2000
CDMA is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 169 operators in 75 countries, including 49 CDMA2000 1x-EV-DO systems, serving more than 275 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 335 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for cdmaOne, TDMA, analog and greenfield operators, and is deployed in the 450, 800, 1700, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands. Nearly 1,250 CDMA2000 devices from more than 80 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 280 1xEV-DO devices. More information on CDMA2000 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 CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 130 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 CDMA2000 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 CDMA2000-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.
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