BOSTON, Mass.-By 2003, more than 725 million people worldwide will subscribe to cellular
and personal communications services, generating annual service revenues of $330 billion, according to Strategy
Analytics Inc.’s report “Worldwide Cellular Market Forecast.”
Global System for Mobile
communications technology “will continue to dominate the worldwide digital cellular market, but [Code Division
Multiple Access] systems will capture a 20-percent share of subscribers by 2003,” said David Kerr, vice
president, wireless communications at Strategy Analytics.
The report also predicts that Southeast Asia will continue
to hold a leadership position through 2003 with total subscribers reaching 250 million. The region passed North
America in terms of market share in 1997, said Strategy Analytics.
Western Europe will be the second-largest
cellular market with subscribers growing at a compound annual rate of 18 percent until 2003.
Worldwide cellular
telephone shipments will post annual growth of 17 percent to exceed 330 million units by 2003.
Southeast Asia will
remain the largest market for cellular phones with unit shipments forecast to reach 114 million annually by 2003,
representing a 34-percent market share, said the report.
