GSM Rules, Literally

3G Americas, a group that represents the GSM technologies in the Americas, announced that the GSM/UMTS services gained more than 564.6 million customers worldwide between June 2006 and June 2007. According to Informa's World Cellular Information Service, more than 100 millions of the new subscribers are from the Western Hemisphere, meaning that the GSM/UMTS technology attracted here more new customers than any other technology.

More than 2.581 million worldwide subscribers use the GSM technology at the moment, making it the leading industry standard for wireless voice communication. Furthermore, the GSM technology has an important role in 3G, because more than 65% of the 3G users across the globe (estimated at around 200 millions) rely on the UMTS/HSPA technology. 181 UMTS operators are currently in service across the globe, with 72 additional networks in deployment, in trial or in planning.

Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas, said: "GSM operators and their customers are realizing the benefits of the variety of wireless data services and applications that are enabled through high-speed wireless data, particularly with the deployment of mobile broadband with UMTS/HSDPA. The uptake of data services by consumers is the tide that will lift all boats for those operators that are moving to 3G."

Among the wireless markets that considerably increased their subscriber number are the ones of Latin America and the Caribbean. About 22 million new GSM users were added in the second quarter of 2007, increasing GSM's zonal market share to 74%.

Erasmo Rojas, Director of Latin America and the Caribbean for 3G Americas, declared: "The growth in the uptake of GSM/EDGE/UMTS technologies in Latin America continues to progress. Wireless service providers are achieving great results in increased contribution to their Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) from wireless data services through their deployment of EDGE and now recently UMTS/HSDPA. As of June 2007, typical operator ARPU from wireless data value-added services represents more than 15% of total wireless revenue in countries such as Mexico (15%), Ecuador (20%), Argentina (24%) and Venezuela (24%)."

With an annual growth rate of 29.5%, GSM technologies are currently used by 85% of the worldwide mobile wireless subscribers. Hence, literally, GSM rules.