Mobile Phone Growth Slows In The US
By the end of 2003 there will be more than 150 million mobile phone subscribers in the US but the rate of growth is expected to slow, according to eMarketer.
The research firm calculates that wireless subscriptions will increase by 8% to 151.4 million this year but saturation point is fast approaching. It is estimated that the number of new subscribers will drop from 7.7 million next year to 3.5 million in 2005.
The US has been lagging behind Western Europe in terms of mobile penetration (see Almost 90% Of UK Population Will Use A Mobile By 2007, Says Report) but eMarketer concludes that the day when every American who wants a handset has one cannot be far away.
| US Mobile Phone Subscribers | |
| Year | Subscribers (m) |
| 2000 | 109.5 |
| 2001 | 128.4 |
| 2002 | 140.8 |
| 2003 | 151.4 |
| 2004 | 159.1 |
| 2005 | 162.6 |
| Source: eMarketer, August 2003 | |
