CANCUN, Mexico, May 13, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today announced the key drivers of growth for CDMA2000(r) in Latin America and the Caribbean -- an increase in mobile broadband deployments, international roaming services, and low-cost handset availability, as well as the compelling business case for CDMA450. The number of CDMA2000 operators in the region has increased to 62, serving more than 66 million subscribers. Twenty five, or 40 percent, of these networks have been upgraded to EV-DO to offer high-speed mobile broadband services. Another 14 networks will be upgraded to EV-DO within a year. The number of international roaming agreements has increased by 10 percent in the past year and more than a dozen sub-US$50 CDMA handsets are now available in the region. Seven CDMA450 networks are in commercial operation, and another six are in the process of being deployed.
CDMA2000 has proven to be the ideal 3G solution for regional operators looking to succeed in the highly diverse and competitive Latin American and Caribbean market. The technology enables multiple revenue generating opportunities at the lowest total cost ownership (TCO). Furthermore, CDMA450 presents a tremendous opportunity for operators interested in offering competitive and reliable wireless telephone and broadband services to their customers regardless of whether they are in urban centers or rural areas.
"We continue to see a growing market opportunity for CDMA2000 in Latin America and the Caribbean," commented Celedonio von Wuthenau, the CDG's Latin American representative. "In addition to addressing the high-end market segment, the demand for low tariffs and affordable devices that support both voice and high-speed broadband data services is being best served by CDMA2000."
CDMA450 (CDMA2000 in the 450 MHz frequency band) is the most mature and widespread solution for economically providing mobile and fixed telecommunications services in both urban and underserved rural markets. Argentina has three CDMA450 networks deployed and operating regionalized commercial services, while more than 80 localities have 450 MHz licenses pending. Etapa operates a CDMA450 network in Ecuador, where both the government and other fixed operators have expressed interest in their own CDMA450 deployments. Additional CDMA450 operators include Telmex in Mexico, Movilnet in Venezuela, Telesur in Suriname, and Valtron and Telefonica in Peru. Operators and governments in several other countries are considering CDMA450 networks, including Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Honduras, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic.
The demand for advanced mobile broadband services is also increasing. By the end of the year there will be at least a dozen Rev. A networks in the region offering average data throughputs of 600-1400 kbps with bursts up to 3.1 Mbps in the downlink, and 350-500 kbps with bursts up to 1.8 Mbps in the uplink.
An increasing number of operators in the region are also benefiting from an uptick in voice, SMS and data international roaming traffic. For example, Digicel and EOCG have deployed networks in nine Caribbean islands, which support seamless roaming between one another and other CDMA networks at large. To facilitate easier CDMA roaming worldwide, the CDG has also created the CDMA Roaming Information Exchange Tool (CRIET), which enables CDMA operators to securely exchange roaming information between companies.
The CDG is leading several handset initiatives to increase the availability of ultra low-cost CDMA handsets in the market, and to lower the costs for high-end devices. CDMA2000 devices priced below US$50 are giving GSM strong competition due to their enhanced feature set and 3G performance. Multi-mode, multi-band WorldMode(tm) handsets, EV-DO PCMCIA cards, USB thumbdrives, modems and routers to enable high-speed mobile broadband connectivity are also being introduced into the Latin America market.
Following is the list of CDMA operators in Latin America and the Caribbean. The chart may be downloaded on the CDG Web site at: http://www.cdg.org/worldwide/index.asp?h_area=3&h_technology=999.
The CDG and its member companies will discuss these and other topics at the 2008 3G CDMA Latin America Regional Conference, taking place May 13-15 in Cancun, Mexico. To register, please visit: www.cdg.org/news/events/CDMASeminar/08_LatinAm/index.asp.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 258 operators in 98 countries, including 91 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO systems, serving more than 418 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 431 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for developed and emerging market operators, and is deployable in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900, AWS and 2100 MHz bands. More than 1,970 CDMA2000 devices from over 110 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 560 1xEV-DO Rel. 0 and 55 Rev. A devices. More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
About CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 130 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 CDMA2000 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 CDMA2000-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
The CDG logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2911
Note to editors
cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.