The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), the world`s leading digital cellular standard, passed the 100 million user milestone 18 months ahead of the industry prediction and six years after the first GSM network was launched in Finland.
"Four new customers switch to the GSM standard every second and 284 GSM networks account for 38% of the world`s wireless market. Revised forecasts now anticipate 120 million GSM users by the end of 1998, almost double that at the close of 1997 (66 million users)," said Joan Joffe, group executive (corporate affairs) of Vodacom.
"In the light of GSM`s dominance of the world`s mobile telecommunications market, it is a pity that Satra did not prescribe GSM as the standard for the two new cellular network licences," said Ms Joffe.
Vodacom has itself reached a new milestone after connecting its 400 000th prepaid user. Vodacom now has 1,2 million of South Africa`s estimated two million GSM users.
Vodacom`s British shareholder also experienced record growth - Vodafone Group Plc added some 680 000 new customers to the GSM fold during the second quarter of 1998, up 189% on the equivalent quarter of 1997.
Vodacom is 31,5% owned by the British-based Vodafone Group. Vodafone`s worldwide proportional customer base currently stands at 6,5 million customers.
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