EV-DO Rev. A Continues to Expand the Reach of Mobile Broadband Around the World

CDMA2000 Operators Among the Most Successful Wireless Data Service Providers


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced that CDMA2000(r) operators, particularly those with CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) networks, are continuing to see tremendous success with their wireless data offerings, bringing advanced mobile broadband services to a rapidly-growing list of markets around the world. Rev. A is delivering on the promise of 3G by providing users an affordable solution for high-speed Internet access and mobile services and enabling operators to build and fortify profitable business models. CDMA2000 delivers some of the highest ARPUs in the industry and positions these operators for success as they look to complement these assets and services with mobile broadcast and next-generation broadband technologies such as LTE and Mobile WiMAX.



    * In the U.S., Verizon's total data ARPU is up to $12.58 (USD),
      representing 24.4 percent of their total ARPU and a CAGR of 31.3
      percent. The ARPU generated by Sprint's CDMA2000 subscribers
      increased by 21 percent year-over-year to $14, representing
      21.43 percent of their total ARPU.
    * In Japan, KDDI continues to see wireless data ARPUs exceeding
      $20. LG Telecom increased its ARPU by 18 percent since launching
      Rev. A.
    * In Europe and Russia, CDMA450 operators are seeing ARPUs well
      above $50. For example, Telefonica 02's non-SMS data ARPU now
      accounts for 43 percent of its total ARPU in the Czech
      Republic.  Since launching EV-DO in Russia, Skylink's profits
      from high-speed broadband data services increased from 7 percent
      to 35 percent.  In Norway, Rev. A is helping Nordisk
      Mobiltelefon get a 100 percent return on their investment in
      less than two years with only 100,000 subscribers.
    * In Latin America, Centennial's ARPU from its Rev. A network is
      one of the highest in Puerto Rico, reaching $65 in a market
      where the average for its competitors hovers in the $50s.
      Centennial's rising data revenue is around $7.50 per user on a
      monthly basis.
    * In Africa, Starcomm's Rev. A subscribers in Nigeria generate in
      excess of $80 ARPU -- more than three times higher than $24.25,
      which is the combined revenue generated from voice and data from
      its average subscribers.

"Mobile broadband has transformed the way the world connects, and Rev. A has proven to be the best-performing high-speed wireless connectivity solution available," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "From conducting business on the road to social networking to multimedia entertainment, CDMA2000 continues to give operators the leverage to deliver new services that are revolutionizing productivity and mobile lifestyles. Rev. A has also helped to bridge the digital divide in emerging markets, delivering access to personal telephony and the Internet in areas where it was previously too expensive to do so with wires."

Global Rev. A network deployments and subscriber adoption continue to grow dramatically. 44 operators have launched Rev. A services and another 35 are in the process of deploying the technology. Up to 19 EV-DO operators have gone straight to Rev. A, bypassing the interim EV-DO Release 0 (Rel. 0) deployment phase, as increased economies of scale for Rev. A devices and network equipment deliver better end-user performance at a lower cost. Another 21 operators are following this trend, using Rev. A as their first mobile broadband service offering.

Many Rev. A networks are being deployed in emerging markets where Internet access does not exist or is cost-prohibitive. Of the 44 worldwide commercial Rev. A networks, 22 are in emerging markets, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq (where all three Iraqi networks offer commercial Rev. A services), Kenya, Mongolia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Togo.

In North America, there are 13 operators offering commercial Rev. A-based services, with another eight in deployment. In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are six commercial Rev. A networks and eight in deployment. There are currently 68 commercial Rev. A devices from 28 suppliers, including PC modem cards, USB thumb drives, mobile notebooks, tablet PCs, Wi-Fi routers, machine-to-machine connections, embedded modules, wireless desktop phones, smartphones, multimedia handsets and touchscreen communicators.

For more information about Rev. A technology, devices, services and deployments, please visit www.cdg.org.

About CDMA2000

CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 276 operators in 102 countries and territories serving more than 450 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne subscribers, there are more than 463 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for developed and emerging market operators, and is deployable in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900, AWS and 2100 MHz bands. More than 2,000 CDMA2000 devices from over 110 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 521 Rel. 0 and 68 Rev. A devices on 104 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel. 0 and 44 Rev. A systems. 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.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2911

Note to editors

Operator data came directly from the operators and their most recent financial reports. cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.



            

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