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Market Share for GSM Wireless Technology Grows to 62% in Western Hemisphere
Deployments of EDGE and UMTS/HSPA Achieve Milestones Setting the Pace for Wireless Data Services
| Source: 3G Americas
BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwire - November 20, 2007) - 3G Americas, an organization representing GSM
technology in the Americas, today announces that the GSM technology
family's market
share in the Western Hemisphere -- North America, Central and South
America, and the Caribbean -- has grown nine percentage points in the past
twelve months, to 62%, up from 53% at the end of third quarter 2006. The
GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA deployment strategy is gaining global traction, with nearly 150 joint EDGE/UMTS
networks commercially available. 3G Americas also reports almost 200
commercial UMTS networks, 150 of which are enhanced by HSDPA, and most UMTS
operators are expected to upgrade network services with HSPA (HSDPA+HSUPA)
building a truly global platform for ubiquitous wireless data services.
The number of GSM/UMTS subscriptions in the Western
Hemisphere rose by more than 100 million in the past year, from
approximately 282 million in September 2006 to 384 million at the end of
September 2007, bringing total market share of the GSM family of
technologies to 62%, according to third quarter data from Informa Telecoms
and Media. During the same timeframe, market share for CDMA technologies
declined from 33.5% to 31%, and now represents 193 million subscriptions
within the Americas. In Latin
America and the Caribbean alone, the number of GSM/UMTS subscriptions
totaled nearly 276 million, for a market share of 78% at the end of the
third quarter. GSM/UMTS subscriptions in the US and Canada numbered more
than 108 million.
The GSM family of technologies now represents 86% of the global market, and
numerous milestones were achieved up through today:
-- 400 UMTS/HSDPA devices launched by manufacturers.
-- 193 UMTS networks commercial; additional 71 networks planned or in
deployment.
-- 152 commercial deployments of HSDPA in 67 countries.
-- 148 joint EDGE/UMTS networks; 244 commercial EDGE networks
in 128 countries.
-- 17 HSUPA networks now commercial, with many more expected in 2008.
"2007 was the year 3G services started to become widely available
throughout the Americas," remarked 3G Americas President, Chris Pearson.
"There is widespread deployment of HSDPA in the US and Canada, and
UMTS/HSPA networks are now launched in many markets in Latin America and
the Caribbean."
Operators in Argentina (Personal, Movistar, CTI Movil), Chile (Entel PCS),
Uruguay (Ancel, CTI Movil and Movistar), Paraguay (CTI Movil) and recently,
Brazil (Telemig Celular and Claro) announced the launch of their UMTS
services this year. A year ago, AT&T Mobility in Puerto Rico became the
first operator to launch commercial UMTS services in the Caribbean.
Eva Benguigui, Senior Research Analyst Latin America with Informa Telecoms
and Media, predicts, "Based on the eleven UMTS/HSPA network launches in
Latin America and the Caribbean, and the many more to come in 2008, the
number of UMTS/HSPA subscriptions in the region will reach 15.3 million by
year end 2009." She continued, "This will be three times as many as those
of alternative 3G technologies CDMA 2000 1xEV-DO (Rev O/A/B), forecast to
number 5.2 million by the same date."
UMTS/HSPA
subscriptions will number well over half a billion worldwide by year
end 2009, according to Informa predictions, and are forecast to reach the 1
billion mark by year end 2011. The second most prevalent 3G technology,
CDMA EV-DO (Rev O/A/B), will reach 115 million and 182 million
subscriptions at year end 2009 and year end 2011, respectively.
Informa forecasts that by 2012, the 3G
wireless market will include a total of 1.68 billion subscriptions, of
which 1.3 billion will be UMTS/HSPA with a 78% share of market. In second
place will be 230 million CDMA EV-DO (Rev O/A/B) subscriptions with a 14%
share, and the remaining 8% share for other technologies such as TD-SCDMA
or TD-CDMA. In a separate forecast, Informa predicts that mobile WiMAX
will have 16.8 million subscriptions by year end 2012.
Chris Pearson continued, "Various analysts' forecasts for the future of 3G
confirm the leadership role being played by the GSM family of technologies.
The evolution of GSM and EDGE to UMTS/HSPA and beyond will sustain the
leading share of the market."
To view 3G Americas and Informa Telecoms and Media 3Q 2007 subscription
statistics and charts, visit www.3gamericas.org.
About 3G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Wireless Technology
The mission of 3G Americas is to promote and facilitate the seamless
deployment throughout the Americas of GSM and its evolution to 3G and
beyond. The organization fully supports the Third Generation technology
migration strategy to EDGE and UMTS/HSPA adopted by many operators in the
Americas that accounts for over 86% of next-generation customers worldwide.
3G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, WA with an office for Latin
America and the Caribbean in Dallas, TX. For more information, visit our
website at www.3gamericas.org.
About Informa Telecoms & Media
Informa Telecoms & Media provides business intelligence and strategic
services to the global telecoms and media markets. All of our products and
services -- from news, trend analysis and forecasting to industry data,
face-to-face events and training -- are driven by our deep understanding of
the markets we serve and by our goal to help our clients make better
business decisions. www.informatm.com