14 DAY TRIAL // The number of mobile phone subscribers has been continuously increasing in the last six years. 3G Americas report the fact that there are currently more than 700 GSM networks which currently operate in more than 200 countries.
The high number of worldwide GSM networks has led to a considerable increase in the subscriber number. As a result of this, there are currently 2.5 billion worldwide GSM subscribers. When compared to the global wireless market, these subscribers make up 85 percent of it.
It is a pretty impressive number and a considerable evolution of up to 400 percent in only six years of GSM network. By making an average, we can see that almost 1 million GSM subscribers add to the existing network every day. This means that the GSM market is still developing and has high chances of reaching even more impressive figures.
"While it took just 12 years for the industry to reach the first billion connections. The second billion has been achieved in just two and a half years boosted by the phenomenal take up of mobile in emerging markets such as China, India, Africa and Latin America, which accounted for 82% of the second billion subscribers", said Craig Ehrlich, Chairman of the GSMA.
In fact, the number of worldwide GSM subscribers is expected to reach 3.3 billion by year 2010, with an average growth rate of 10 percent every year. The main areas where this network will prove to have greatest success in developing are Asia, Middle East and Africa. Actually, the highest expectations come from the Middle East, as the number of new mobile phone subscribers is continuously increasing due to the great amount of people that are now buying their first mobile device.
The future of the GSM network looks pretty bright, as we see it, as this constant growth in market share exceeds all expectations.