COSTA MESA, Calif., April 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) announced today that CDMA2000(r) is rapidly expanding in Africa and the Middle East. 62 service providers in 38 countries within the region have commercially deployed or are planning to deploy 3G services using CDMA2000 technology. As of 2006, there were more than 10 million CDMA subscribers in the region and this number is expected to more than quadruple within the next four years.
The CDG, Africa CDMA Forum (ACF) and WANA, an operator that recently deployed 3G in Morocco, are hosting conferences in North and South Africa to showcase how CDMA2000 is continuing to fulfill the demand for affordable 3G telephone and broadband access in Africa and the Middle East. The first conference, "3G: Enabling Telephone and Broadband for All," is being held in Marrakech, Morocco, May 3-4, where the CDG will be congratulating WANA on their launch and overwhelming success in offering 3G CDMA2000 services. The CDG will also be participating in the "Winning with 3G in Africa" seminar in Johannesburg, May 7-8, where CDMA2000 operators and vendors will be discussing the benefits of CDMA2000 in the sub-Sahara region.
"The CDG is pleased to see the rapid expansion of CDMA2000 across Africa and the Middle East," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "CDMA2000's voice clarity, broadband power, and lower cost structure make it ideal for the citizens and businesses of emerging market economies that want high-quality and affordable wireless communications services."
Globally, CDMA2000 is the leading 3G technology, serving close to 70 percent of all 3G subscribers worldwide. It is by far the most widely deployed 3G technology in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Close to 170 of the 240 operators with commercial or pre-commercial CDMA2000 networks are in developing markets. These markets already account for more than 50 percent of CDMA2000 subscribers worldwide and their share will continue to increase.
CDMA2000 is an ideal solution to meet the growing demand for affordable fixed and mobile telecommunication services in developing markets. It enables operators to provide cost-effective voice and broadband access to the Internet and a broad range of value-added data services for consumers, government, education, and enterprise users in both dense urban areas and sparsely populated rural areas. Studies have shown that CDMA2000 is more economical than 2G in the long run and offers up to a 23 percent cost savings over equivalent GSM/EDGE solutions. There is a large selection of affordable devices, ranging from sub-US$30 handsets to PC notebooks, which have CDMA2000 1xEV-DO embedded in them to provide for wide area broadband access. The strength of the CDMA industry's ecosystem, which has generated substantial economies of scope and scale, the technology's superior spectral efficiency and numerous cost reduction initiatives have enabled CDMA2000 to become the most economical choice for delivering 3G services for emerging markets.
The following operators in the Middle East and Africa have deployed or will have commercial networks within the next six months:
Country Operator Network
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Algeria Algerie Telecom 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
EV-DO Rev A (To Launch)
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Algeria Consortium Algerian
de Telecommunications 1X (Commercial)
(Lacom) EV-DO Rel 0 (Trials)
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Angola Movicel
Telecomunicacoes 1X (Commercial)
Lda EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Angola Mundo Startel 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Benin Bell Benin
Communications
(BBCOM) 1X (To Launch)
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Botswana Botswana
Telcommunications
Corp. (BTC) 1X (Trial)
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Cameroon CAMTEL (CTPhone) 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Cote d'lvoire Arobase Telecom S. A. 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
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Dem. Rep. of Tatem Telecom 1X (Commercial)
the Congo EV-DO Rev A (Commercial)
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Djibouti Djibouti Telecom 1X (To Launch)
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Egypt Telecom Egypt 1X (Commercial)
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Ethiopia Ethiopian
Telecommunications
Corp. (ETC) 1X (Commercial)
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Gambia Gambia
Telecommunications
Co. Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Ghana Kasapa
Telecom Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Iraq Itisalauna Iraq 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
EV-DO Rev A (To Launch)
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Iraq Kalimat 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Iraq Moutiny Wireless
Telecommunications 1X (To Launch)
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Israel Pelephone 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
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Kenya E.M. Communications
Ltd. (Popote
Wireless) 1X (Commercial)
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Kenya Flashcom Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Kenya Telkom Kenya Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Kuwait Kuwaiti Ministry of
Communications 1X (Commercial)
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Libya Libyan General
Posts &
Telecommunications 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Madagascar Telecom Malagasy
S.A. (Telma) 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Mali Sotelma 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
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Mauritania Mauritel 1X (Commercial)
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Morocco WANA (Formerly 1X (Commercial)
Maroc Connect) EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
EV-DO Rev A (To Launch)
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Mozambique Telecomunicacoes
de Mozambique 1X (To Launch)
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Namibia Telecom Namibia 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Niger Sonitel 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Bourdex Telecom 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Nigeria Cell Communications
Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Independent Telephone
Network Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Intercellular
Nigeria Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria MTS First Wireless 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Multi-Links
Telecommunications
Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Nigerian
Telecommunications
Ltd. (Nitel) 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Oud'a Tel 1X (To Launch)
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Nigeria Prestel 1X (To Launch)
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Nigeria Rainbownet Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Reliance
Telecommunications
Ltd. (Reltel) 1X (Commercial)
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Nigeria Starcomms Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
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Oman OmanTel 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Rwanda Terracom 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
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Saudi Arabia Saudi Telecom 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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Syria Syrian
Telecommunications
Establishment 1X (Commercial)
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Sierra Leone Datatel 1X (To Launch)
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South Africa Neotel 1X (Planned)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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South Africa Thinta Thinta 1X (Planned)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Planned)
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Sudan Canar
Telecommunications 1X (Commercial)
Co. Ltd. (Canar) EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
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Sudan Mobitel Sudan 1X (Commercial)
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Sudan Sudatel (Sudani) 1X (Commercial)
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Tanzania Benson
Informatics Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
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Tanzania MyCell 1X (To Launch)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
EV-DO Rev A (To Launch)
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Tanzania Tanzania
Telecommunications
Company Ltd. (TTCL) 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO (To Launch)
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Tanzania Zanzibar Telecom
Ltd. (ZANTEL) 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Commercial)
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Togo Togo Telecom 1X (Commercial)
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Tunisia Telecom Tunisia 1X (Commercial)
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Uganda MTN Uganda 1X (Commercial)
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Uganda Uganda Telecom Ltd. 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (Planned)
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Yemen Yemen Mobile 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rev 0 (Trials)
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Zambia Zambia
Telecommunications
Ltd. (ZAMTEL) 1X (Commercial)
EV-DO Rel 0 (To Launch)
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About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 207 operators in 90 countries, including 61 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel 0 and 6 Rev A systems, serving more than 325 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 375 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. More than 1,600 CDMA2000 devices from more than 90 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 400 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.
The CDG logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2911
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).