GSA Says Number Of 3G/WCDMA Terminal Products In The Market Tripled To 139 In 8 Months

March 2, 2005: GSA - the Global mobile Suppliers Association, confirmed from its latest research - 3G/WCDMA Devices Model Variety and Availability - published today that the number of 3G/WCDMA terminals shipping or launched in the market has leapt to 139 models, ensuring the widest choice for customers using 3G services.

Several new models were announced during the 3GSM World Congress 2005 in Cannes, including products from new market entrants, further expanding customer choice. The new total of 139 is more than triple the number of products launched to 30 June 2004 (at which time there were 45), and is over 100 more than the number of models launched to end-2003. GSA says that 25 suppliers have launched WCDMA terminals.

The range of combined WCDMA/EDGE devices has also increased and supports the growing number of operators globally offering 3G services on combined EDGE/WCDMA networks, demonstrating the maturity of both WCDMA and EDGE technologies, which are complementary.

Initial WCDMA/HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) devices are also launched and included in this survey. HSDPA is an evolution of WCDMA which will enable operators to deliver more advanced mobile broadband services enabled by a 5-fold increase in data speeds, and is expected to be in the market from end-2005.

WCDMA is the most widely accepted 3G mobile technology globally, delivering higher capacity for voice and enhanced data rates. GSA confirms there are 64 WCDMA networks in commercial service in 31 countries today, serving close to 20 million customers. A total of 13.61 million new WCDMA subscribers were added in 2004, equivalent to annual growth exceeding 500 per cent. The combined GSM and WCDMA user base exceeds 1.3 billion subscribers worldwide.

GSM/3G resources can be found on the GSA website www.gsacom.com including:

* 3G/WCDMA Devices Model Variety and Availability - updated February 25, 2005
* WCDMA Fact Sheet - including status of WCDMA network deployments globally
* GSM/3G Network Update
* GSM/3G Market Update
* statistics and charts covering GSM, EDGE, WCDMA and HSDPA market development and technology deployments are available at www.gsacom.com/news/statistics.php4

Contact Information

Alan Hadden

President, GSA

GSA Press Office

Contact via E-mail