BEIJING, July 10, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced that CDMA2000(r) continues to dominate the Asia Pacific 3G wireless telecommunications market with more than 161 million 3G subscribers in the region, representing a 30% CAGR. 62 CDMA2000 operators in 29 countries are offering commercial 3G services, and 50% of the Asia Pacific operators will be offering EV-DO broadband data services to more than 39 million subscribers by the end of the year. With the rapid 3G subscriber growth, operator growth, and substantial demand for broadband data services, CDMA2000 has established a strong and sustainable lead over competing technologies in the region and is playing a critical role in the licensing of 3G spectrum in India and China -- the world's largest and fastest growing markets.
"This is an important moment in the history of CDMA2000," said Steve Falk, vice president of technology and advocacy for the CDG, who led an CDMA executive round table in Beijing today with China Unicom and its leading CDMA vendors. "The technology's evolution path, maturity and performance have enabled levels of power and refinement that makes it irresistible to the region. The CDG is pleased to witness the level of satisfaction that subscribers, operators, infrastructure and device suppliers, value-added service and content providers, and regulatory bodies are reaping from the benefits of this leading-edge technology. CDMA2000 has proven that it can significantly strengthen the economy of those countries that deploy it."
Over the past five years the number of CDMA subscribers in Asia has risen exponentially. By the end of March 2007, there were more than 178 million CDMA subscribers (cdmaOne(tm) and CDMA2000) in the region.
The CDG attributes this rapid subscriber growth to the extensive, first-to-market selection of innovative products and services offered by the large number of operators, excellent coverage, affordable devices and services, an enhanced customer experience, and the flexibility of the network to adapt to various deployment scenarios in both underserved and developed markets.
As subscribers have grown, so have the number of CDMA operators. In the past year, seven operators have launched commercial CDMA2000 services in Bangladesh, Fiji, Thailand, and Vietnam -- five of which included the introduction of EV-DO broadband data services. Another six operators are expected to deploy this year.
CDMA operators in the region are aggressively fulfilling the demand for 3G and broadband data services using EV-DO technology.
-- China: China Unicom will launch its first EV-DO network to meet the
burgeoning demand for broadband data services in Macau soon.
-- India: Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices have broken
records in subscriber growth, network cost reductions and ultra
low-cost device availability. There are more than 47 million
CDMA2000 subscribers in India -- double the amount from a year ago.
Several operators are now deploying EV-DO networks.
-- Indonesia: With more than 10 million subscribers nationwide, three
out of the six Indonesian operators have begun offering EV-DO
broadband data services.
-- Japan: A flat-rate billing structure, large selection of
attractive devices and services, and better customer care has
helped KDDI attract more than 9 million EV-DO subscribers within
the past year.
China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) has recently selected CDMA2000 as one of its official 3G standards, clearing the way for a technology-neutral stance towards the licensing of spectrum for advanced broadband data services. The growth of CDMA2000 is expected to expand rapidly in China when businesses and consumers have the opportunity to experience the benefits that distinguish CDMA2000 from its competition.
More information on CDMA2000 is available at www.cdg.org.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 215 operators in 95 countries, including 70 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems, serving more than 325 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne subscribers, there are more than 375 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for cdmaOne(tm), TDMA, analog and greenfield operators, and is deployed in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900 and 2100 MHz bands. More than 1,700 CDMA2000 devices from over 92 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 440 1xEV-DO and 26 Rev A 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).