US : The CDMA Development Group (CDG) announced that CDMA2000® is rapidly expanding in the Americas with 45 commercial networks and over 29 million subscribers.

Nearly 30% of 102 million CDMA subscribers in the region have access to 3G services. Capitalizing on the cost efficiencies and high-speed data capabilities of CDMA2000, operators are offering affordable voice services and have introduced advanced multimedia services to users in the region.

CDMA2000 was the first 3G technology to be deployed in North and South America in 2001. Monet Networks was first to launch in North America, while VIVO was the first Latin America carrier to deploy. In 2002, Sprint and Verizon Wireless launched their nationwide networks in the United States. Deployments accelerated in 2003, with six new networks launched in the last four months by BellSouth Chile, BellSouth Peru, Bermuda Digital Communications, Movicom BellSouth Argentina, Telefonica Moviles Peru and Telesca in Ecuador.

“CDMA2000 is an ideal platform to support the growth and innovation in the Americas. It has created new market opportunities for operators, delivered advanced services to users and offered affordable telecommunication services to areas that had none.” said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. “CDMA2000 will continue to expand in the Americas and around the world, leading the wireless industry in 3G.”

The spectral and cost efficiencies inherent in CDMA2000 allow carriers to offer affordable voice services. BellSouth International in Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador is using CDMA2000 to provide low-cost services in remote areas.

CDMA2000 is the dominant platform for data services in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the EMC Database, more than 77% of the wireless data subscribers in the region use CDMA2000. A number of carriers, including BellSouth in Chile, Movilnet in Venezuela, and Vesper in Brazil, use CDMA2000 to offer broadband Internet access. Five carriers in the region have already, or will, deploy CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, the most advanced high-speed data wireless technology currently available.

CDMA2000 brings the most advanced services to users and generates incremental revenue for operators in the region.

PCS VisionSM from Sprint offers services including Picture MailSM, games, ringers, screen savers and web access. Recently, the operator launched Video Mail, allowing customers to capture, view and share video clips of up to 15 seconds in length. At the end of 3Q 2003, Sprint reported that it had nearly 2.7 million PCS Vision users, who generated $10 each in data revenue per month, and more than 23 million pictures were shared and uploaded over their network that quarter.

Verizon Wireless offers picture messaging, BREW-based entertainment, ring-tones, and in October, it launched BroadbandAccess, a high-speed data service based on CDMA2000 1x EV-DO. The carrier’s EV-DO service is delivering better than 300-500 kilobits per second on average with peak rates above 2 megabits. In 3Q 2003, the company reported more than 400 million text messages, four million BREW application downloads, and two million picture messages per month.

VIVO, the largest operator in Latin America with more than 48% market share in Brazil, estimates that its data revenue as a percent of total revenue will double in 2003 compared to 2002.
CDMA is one of the leading technologies in the Americas, with more than 102 million subscribers of 37% of market share. In North America, CDMA is the dominant technology with 71 million users and 47% market share. In Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly one in four subscribers use CDMA and one in three new users choose the technology.

CDMA will continue to capture market share, and according to In Stat/MDR, it will become the dominant technology throughout the Americas in 2004, with 160 million users.

The CDG is hosting the CDMA Americas Congress, December 8-10, 2003 in Miami focusing on business opportunities with CDMA2000 for the Americas with presentations ranging from industry forecasts and investment trends to expert perspectives on emerging services. The program also includes case studies of revenue-generating applications, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO implementation and 1xEV-DV development, and integration of Wi-Fi with CDMA networks.