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GSM Leads CDMA Wireless in Latin America

16th August ,2004

Europe : 3G Americas reports that customers in the Western Hemisphere are quickly adopting GSM wireless technology, making it the number one choice of new cell phone customers. In Latin America, the total number of GSM customers reached 36 million, surpassing the number of CDMA customers by 1.6 million as of June 2004. Subscriber information is based on estimates from the EMC World Cellular Database. Globally, GSM accounted for 82% of new digital wireless customers representing 57.8 million of the 70.3 million net subscribers added in the second quarter.

At more than 123% annual gain to its subscriber base, GSM added more customers from June 2003 to June 2004 than any other mobile wireless technology in the Americas. In the U.S. and Canada alone, GSM annual growth was nearly 85%, four times the growth rate of other mobile technologies.

Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas commented, "It was another great quarter for GSM, as the world's leading wireless technology achieved significant milestones in the Americas with more than 76 million customers represented by 100-plus operators." Pearson added, "The region saw the continued progress of GSM third generation technologies with the nationwide launch of EDGE in Canada as well as the commercial deployment of UMTS in four major cities in the U.S."

In regards to the Latin America region, 3G Americas' Director of Latin America and Caribbean, Erasmo Rojas stated that, "GSM remains undoubtedly the fastest growing and proven global technology in Latin American and the Caribbean, with an impressive 192% annual growth of its subscriber base." Rojas continued, "By adding nearly 24 million new customers over the past year, the number of new GSM customers exceeded the combined total of added CDMA and TDMA customers during the same period."

Latin America Analyst, Eva Benguigui of EMC commented, "In addition to the 62 operators already offering GSM in Latin America and the Caribbean, a further 25 operators have confirmed plans to roll out the technology, which will help GSM become dominant in subscriber terms within 2005."

For charts on GSM growth, as well as EDGE and UMTS deployment lists, visit 3G Americas' website at: www.3gamericas.org/English/statistics/index.cfm.

About 3G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Wireless Technology
The mission of 3G Americas is to promote and facilitate the seamless deployment of GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS (WCDMA) throughout the Americas for the benefit of consumers. The organization fully supports the Third Generation technology migration strategy GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS adopted by many operators in the Americas that is expected to account for up to 85% of next-generation customers worldwide. 3G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, WA with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas, TX.

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