COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 9, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) (www.cdg.org) today announced that CDMA2000(r) is showing strong growth across Central Asia. Up to 23 CDMA2000 operators are bridging the digital divide in countries such as Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan by offering affordable voice and broadband data access to millions of users in both urban and rural areas. These operators have been able to sustain average revenue per user (ARPU) that is above the industry average, while providing areas that have limited purchasing power with affordable voice and value added data services.
"The CDG is pleased to report CDMA's strong growth across Central Asia," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "Central Asian operators are finding the choice of CDMA2000 to be a natural one since the technology is mature and provides a competitive advantage with regards to supporting voice, broadband connectivity, low-cost handsets, and a lower total cost of network ownership. These factors, along with the technology's flexibility to address different market needs, has allowed these operators to effectively meet the growing demand for fixed and mobile wireless services while supporting an improved return on investment."
The region, comprised of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, represents a population of more than 236 million. CDMA2000 networks are already serving most of the people living in this diverse and populace region. The technology's inherent flexibility and adaptability in addressing different topographies, population densities, and service line-ups has enabled operators to viably operate in the urban and remote areas of Central Asia, where landline services are not easily available and voice usage is moderately high.
The growth of subscribers in the region has been brisk. For example, according to Khalid Khan, chairman of the Pakistan CDMA Forum, "The subscriber growth in Pakistan has been phenomenal, where the total CDMA2000 wireless local loop (WLL) subscriber base has exceeded 1.2 million subscribers in just the last year. With the expected launch of fully mobile CDMA2000 networks early next year, we expect more than 10 million people in Pakistan will be using advanced CDMA2000 services by 2010."
"We are impressed with the consistent performance of CDMA and the value proposition that it delivers," said Artem Orange, chief executive of Diallog, a foreign investor in Pakistan with licenses to operate in 5 telecom regions, covering more than 40 million of the country's population. "Apart from being able to offer ubiquitous broadband data access, the reliability of the CDMA connection and its voice clarity are the two major benefits that we are delivering to our customers."
Following is a list of the CDMA operators in Central Asia that have commercially deployed or are planning to deploy CDMA2000 services within the next six months:
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Azerbaijan AZTRANK 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO (To Launch)
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Azerbaijan Caspian American 1X (Commercial)
Telecom (CATEL)
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Azerbaijan BTRIB 1X (Commercial)
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Azerbaijan AZ Telecom 1X (Commercial)
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Azerbaijan ULTEL 1X (To Launch)
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Azerbaijan MCIT (Nakhchivan 1X (Commercial)
Autonomous Republic)
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Georgia Iberiatel 1X (Commercial)
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Kazakhstan JSC ALTEL (Dalacom) 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO (To Launch)
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Kyrgyzstan AkTel LLC (FONEX) 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO (To Launch)
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Kyrgyzstan WinLine 1X (Commercial)
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Mongolia Mobicom (Mongolia) cdmaOne (Commercial)
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Mongolia Mongol Telecom cdmaOne (Commercial)
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Mongolia SkyTel cdmaOne (Commercial)
1X (Commercial)
EV-DO (To Launch)
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Pakistan DV COM 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO (To Launch)
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Pakistan Great Bear 1X (Commercial)
International Services EV-DO (To Launch)
(Diallog)
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Pakistan Pakistan 1X (Commercial)
Telecommunication EV-DO (To Launch)
Company (PTCL)
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Pakistan TeleCard Ltd. cdmaOne (Commercial)
1X (Commercial)
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Pakistan Worldcall 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO (Commercial)
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Pakistan Instaphone 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO (To Launch)
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Tajikistan JSC Tajiktelecom 1X (Commercial)
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Uzbekistan JSC Uzbektelecom 1X (Commercial)
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Uzbekistan Perfectum Mobile cdmaOne (Commercial)
1X (Commercial)
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Uzbekistan Telekom Mobile Inc. 1X (Commercial)
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The fourth annual 450MHz Digitalization conference to be held in Riga, Latvia, October 10-11, will explore the latest developments within the CDMA450 industry. This conference is endorsed by the CDG, which represents CDMA2000 operators and International 450 Association (IA450), which promotes the use of CDMA2000 in the 400 to 500 MHz frequency band.
More information on CDMA is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org. More information on the 450MHz Digitalization event is available at http://www.450event.com.
About CDMA
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 176 operators in 75 countries, including 51 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 1,460 CDMA2000 devices from more than 85 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 350 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 CDMA 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 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.
Note to editors
cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). CDMA450 is a registered trademark of the TIA-USA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.