The number of worldwide wireless service subscribers is expected to reach 5 billion this month, equaling 73.4 percent of the earth's population, according to the market research firm iSuppli Corp. Concentration os subscribers varies over the world. Europe has more wireless subscribers than people.
iSuppli contends that wireless communication has become a basic staple like food, clothing and shelter.
The penetration of wireless subscriptions varies widely by regions. At the low end is the combined Africa and Middle East region, where penetration amounts to 50 percent. On the high side is Western Europe, where there are more subscriptions than citizens, with penetration amounting to 157.6 percent. Europeans frequently have multiple subscriptions and phones, allowing them to maintain communications while traveling in different nations that use varying service providers and air standards.
"Because of the prevalence of mobile communications, the focus of the global technology supply chain has shifted away from the slower-growing computer market toward fast-expanding wireless-oriented platforms," said Dr. Jagdish Rebello, senior director and principal analyst for wireless research at iSuppli.
"The vast size of the installed base means wireless delivers greater opportunities for content and service developers to reach a large portion of the population. Furthermore, the evolution of mobile handsets into smart phones is leading to the deployment of more value-added services, software and components."
After crossing the 5 billion threshold in September, global wireless subscriptions will increase by another 100 million and hit 5.1 billion at the end of 2010, amounting to 74.5 percent of the world's population, as presented in the attached figure.
Each of these subscriptions represents a recurring payment for wireless services delivered to a device, ranging from an Ultra Low-Cost Handset (ULCH) to a high-end smart phone.
The global installed base of wireless devices will amount to 4.9 billion at the end of 2010. The remaining subscribers will be accounted for by additional Subscriber Identification (SIM) modules used in mobile handsets and services to Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications systems.
For more information on the wireless market, see iSuppli's new report, entitled: 3G Mobile-handset Growth will Peak in 2010.
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