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Tag: CDG

  • India CDMA base up by 30%; Asia largest market

    India CDMA base up by 30%; Asia largest market

    MUMBAI:The US-based CDMA Development Group (CDG) has reported that the CDMA2000 subscriber base reached 225 million users worldwide at the end of 2005, a 25 million increase over 3Q and 78 million more than the previous year.

    According to the report, in some markets, like India, CDMA has captured 30 per cent in less than three years, states CDG. Asia remains the largest market for CDMA with 131 million users, followed by North America with 108 million subscribers. The Caribbean and Latin America region added over 16 million CDMA users last year, which represents a 38 per cent increase from the previous year.

    The high demand for CDMA2000 has greatly contributed to the continuous advances of CDMA worldwide. Last year the CDMA base grew by 26 per cent, and in the past five years CDMA market share increased from 11 per cent in 2000 to 14 per cent in 2005.

    CDMA2000 is deployed in 67 countries across all continents, and while Asia and North America remain the largest markets for CDMA2000, 27 million (about 10 per cent) of CDMA2000 subscribers reside in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, and this number is growing rapidly, especially in Latin America.

    The number of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO subscribers nearly doubled in the past year and reached over 24 million, as CDMA2000 operators continued to deploy and expand their broadband services, finds CDG. Driven by the strong demand for CDMA2000, the total CDMA subscriber base grew to 302 million worldwide.

    “2005 was a record year for CDMA2000 in terms of the number of networks deployed and subscriber growth. CDMA2000 now serves more than 10% of wireless subscribers worldwide, adding new users faster than any other wireless technology in the past. CDMA2000 has been the driving force behind the commercial success of 3G and now, with 1xEV-DO, it is leading the way in wireless broadband,” said CDG executive director Perry LaForge.

    Since its launch in 2000, CDMA2000 has dominated the 3G market and greatly contributed to the growth of CDMA worldwide. Today, CDMA2000 is said to control 82 per cent of the 3G market and to be adding new users at a rate of 8 million per month, faster than WCDMA and GSM in the first years of their introduction. More than 74 per cent of CDMA users access 3G today, compared to 61 per cent last year.

    The CDMA2000 industry has entered a phase of rapid transition to advanced broadband wireless services, with 29 systems already commercial and 41 more being deployed. With wider coverage and broader range of devices, the number of 1xEV-DO users surged from 12 million in 2004 to 24 million at the end of 2005, and the number of users is growing at 4 million per quarter. As the trend continues, the percent of CDMA2000 users who access broadband will increase this year from 11 per cent to 20 per cent.

    The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The more than 100 member companies of the CDG include many of the world’s largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers.

  • CDG urges TRAI to allocate PCS1900 spectrum to operators

    CDG urges TRAI to allocate PCS1900 spectrum to operators

    MUMBAI: The CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) Development Group (CDG) has recommended to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that the PCS1900 spectrum be allocated to CDMA operators to ensure that CDMA is allowed to co-exist and compete on a fair basis with other wireless standards in India, according to an official release.

    “The CDG commends India for its leadership in adopting policies that promote the use of wireless technologies in expanding the reach of telecommunication services and implementing advanced services in the market,” stated CDMA Development Group executive director Perry LaForge in the release.

    The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA technologies. The more than 100 member companies of the CDG include many of the world’s largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers.

    The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA-related matters.

    “With the introduction of the Unified License, CDMA has thrived in India and has greatly contributed to the expansion of wireless services in the past year. We hope that TRAI will continue to promote policies that embrace the concepts of technology neutrality and spectrum flexibility to ensure the long-term growth of mobile services in India,” adds LaForge

    As of July 2004, CDMA technology served more than 10 million subscribers across India. CDMA services have created competition, lowered tariffs and allowed many citizens access to communication services for the first time. However, the spectrum allocated to CDMA operators in the regions is roughly half of that allocated to other technologies and is not enough to support even the minimum capacity projections required over the next two years for voice services only.

    Spectrum in the 1800 MHz band is not a viable option for CDMA carriers in India. There are no CDMA systems operating in this band, nor are there dual band handsets or network equipment available for both the 800 MHz and 1800 MHz bands.

    Indian operators would have to wait years before the appropriate systems and devices were available to offer service, and even then they would be uniquely developed for the Indian region and therefore very expensive.

    “Policies that allow for co-existence of multiple technologies and in-band migration to 3G services have resulted in rapid growth in mobile penetration and faster deployment of advanced wireless services in many markets across the world, including Asia, Latin America and North America,” said LaForge.

    “The CDG urges TRAI to ensure that enough spectrum is available to all carriers to support growth and stimulate continued innovation and competition.

    “The CDG strongly believes that it is essential that spectrum in the 1900 MHz band be allocated to CDMA operators to ensure that they participate in and contribute to the development of the wireless market in India,” he added

    CDMA technology is the fastest growing wireless technology worldwide. As of June 2004, there were 222 CDMA networks and over 212 million CDMA subscribers across all six continents. CDMA2000(r) is the leading 3G technology deployed by 90 operators and servicing over 112 million users worldwide.

    There are more than 650 CDMA2000 devices available today. The economies of scale CDMA2000 provides in terms of infrastructure and handsets enable operators to deploy networks rapidly and cost-effectively and to offer high-quality voice and innovative data services to users across all economic groups.