The global cellular phone market should grow by 500 million new connections over the next 16 months, to reach three billion subscribers by the end of 2007.
This is according to the latest report from Wireless Intelligence, a joint venture between consulting firm Ovum and the GSM Association.
"The cellular industry took 20 years to reach a billion connections, three years to reach two billion connections and is on target to reach its third billion in a period of just over two years," says Martin Garner, director of Wireless Intelligence.
The world currently has about two-and-a-half billion subscribers, out of a total population that is growing closer to seven billion.
Growth areas
Over the four quarters to the end of September 2006, world total net additions were 484 million. Of these, 41% were in Asia Pacific, with Eastern Europe and Latin America accounting for 30% of the growth.
"Africa took 10% of the growth and the relatively mature markets of Western Europe, North America and the Middle East took the remaining 20% in equal measure," states the report.
The top 10 countries for volume of new connections over the last year were China, India, Russia, the US, Pakistan, Ukraine, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria and Bangladesh. Between them, they account for over half of the growth in the world cellular market over the last 12 months.
The report does, however, add that total connections are higher than the real number of users due to some users having more than one connection, and cases of inactive prepaid connections.
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