GSM dominance

GSM dominance

About 80% of mobile subscribers (or 1.6bn people) are using GSM-based services. In 12 months, GSM added 381m new customers, more than the entire customer base of any other mobile digital technology. More than 670 mobile service providers in 212 countries are providing GSM services.

In the Americas, the heart of competitive CDMA technology, GSM accounts for 41% market share and 94% of net customer additions. It grows with an annual growth rate of 90%, which is more than three and a half times CDMA's growth rate. N.A. added 26m new GSM customers vs CDMA adding only 15m. In CALA, GSM added 58m new subscribers (up 127%) three times the growth rate of CDMA at 41%.

About 183 networks are currently EDGE-enhanced and are or will be in commercial operations. To date, there are 162 operators offering or deploying UMTS service around the world, and UMTS subscribers rose to 35m et the end of Sept.05 (compared to more than 17m CDMA 1xEV-DO according to the UMTS Forum).