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Asia-Pacific to Surpass 3 Billion Mobile Subs by 2015

The business of mobile phone subscription market development is a constantly evolving challenge. As new wireless technologies are introduced they tend to displace the older ones, if not immediately, eventually.

By 2015, the Asia-Pacific region will surpass 3 billion cellular mobile service subscriptions, according to the latest market study by In-Stat.

"Perhaps no global business model is more fluid than the marketing of cellular communications," says Chris Kissel, Analyst at In-Stat.

Depending upon market conditions, mobile operators can now offer simple 2G analog services or extremely sophisticated mobile networks capable of delivering 40-60Mbps downlink speeds, with many additional offerings in between.


In-Stat's market research found the following:

- FDD-LTE subscription in North America will exceed 10 million in 2012.

- Eastern Europe will realize their 100 millionth 3G cellular subscription in 2013.

- 2011 is the last year that 2G GSM North American subscriptions will be greater than 50 million as operators in the region move their subscriptions to 3G and pre-4G airlinks.

- In 2015, the Asia-Pacific region reaches 500 million combined WCDMA, HSPA and HSPA+ subscriptions.

- 2012 will be the peak of CDMA Rev A, with almost 130 million subscriptions worldwide. Rev A subscriptions are forecast to decline through the remainder of the forecast period.

- CDMA Rel 0+ and Rev B are both predicted to increase subscriptions over that same period.

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