GSM presently represents more than 80% of the global mobile communications industry. 2G & 2.5G technology market represents the largest segment. On the other hand, 3G technology market segment is poised to register the fastest compounded annual rate of growth by 2015.
Asia-Pacific represents the largest market for GSM, while Africa remains the fastest growing market over the years 2006 through 2015. Europe, the birthplace of GSM, is now a slow growth market.
North America, which traditionally remained as a fortress for CDMA technologies, is emerging as a high potential market for GSM with the introduction of new 3G GSM technologies. New technologies such as WCDMA and High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) are growing slower than expected in several regions. Political pressure and the prolonged debate between various technology supporters are delaying the launch of 3G services in several countries. The topical recession is discouraging new investments for the expansion of 3G infrastructure.
Leading global and regional service providers dominating the GSM market include America Movil, AT&T Mobility LLC, Bharti Airtel Limited, Deutsche Telekom Group, France Telecom, Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited, Mobile TeleSystems OJSC, NTT DoCoMo Inc, Rogers Communications Inc, Telefónica SA, Telecom Italia S.p.A, Verizon Communications Inc, and Vodafone Group Plc.
RIM has unveiled its CDMA based 3G phone for its north American consumers. Rim has named it Black Berry Tour, a smart phone which features state-of-the-art communications and multimedia capabilities.
