A high-tech market research firm has forecast that the number of worldwide wireless mobile phone subscribers will grow to 2.5 billion by 2009.
According to a new report from In-Stat/MDR, subscribers to services such as wideband code-division multiple-access (WCDMA), one of the main technologies for the implementation of third-generation (3G) cellular systems, will experience robust expansion by 2008.
GSM, the current mobile phone system has experienced a boom over the past few years but after 2007 a decline is expected. Key Hers, senior analyst said: “GSM is in for a stark turnaround, from 2008, GSM growth will begin to decline as operators move subscribers to WCDMA.”
Although GSM is set to fall, it will however remain as the dominant airlink throughout most of the forecast but by 2009 CDMA will overtake GSM to claim the largest share of the subscriber market.
The Growth Returns – Worldwide Mobile Subscriber Forecasts 2004 – 2009 report says that China continues to lead the world in overall subscriber growth, while Europe will continue to be slow and will actually stall in Scandinavia – the world’s first fully matured wireless market. The United States is also set to see strong growth.
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