At the end of May 2008, Europe had 101.5 mln 3G subscriptions out of a total of mobile subscriptions of 910.8 mln, a 11.1% penetration, Informa said. Tthe percentage of 3G subscribers is highest in Sweden, Norway and Italy with well over 25 percent, followed by Portugal, Austria and Spain.

CDMA Development Group announced that CDMA2000 continues to dominate the North American 3G wireless telecommunications market with more than 135 mln 3G subscribers in the region, of which more than 22% use EV-DO mobile broadband devices. CDMA2000 service providers in North America are generating more than $3 bln of revenue per quarter from mobile data services alone. That’s more than $34 mln dollars per day.

In the advanced Japanese mobile phone market, the shipment of 3G phones exceeded 92% of 47.8 mln phones sold in 2006. In 2006, 43.5 mln 3G phones were sold in Japan. Camera, music player function, and above 2.4-inch screens with at least 240*320 resolution have become standard. 98 new 3G models were launched in the last 12 months in Japan, In-Stat says.

ABI Research forecasts that 3G modules will achieve only a 30% penetration of the M2M market by 2012, and will become the technology of choice only where bandwidth demands and economics dictate.

ABI Research forecasts that 3G modules will achieve only a 30% penetration of the M2M market by 2012, and will become the technology of choice only where bandwidth demands and economics dictate.

According to In-Stat, a total of 210 cellular carriers worldwide have either deployed 3G or will do so very shortly. Of these 210 cellular carriers, 68 are in Western Europe, 38 Eastern Europe, 19 in North America, 18 South America, 13 are in the Middle East and 54 are in the Asia Pacific.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) of 3G technologies is about to benefit from Rel-8 of the 3GPP standard, planned for Q3 2007. This will be the trigger for development of components and systems to provide 100 Mbps download speeds to mobile devices. According to a new study from ABI Research, network operators will invest a total of almost $18 bln in LTE capital infrastructure over the period to 2014.

As of the end of Q4 2006, there were over 100 mln WCDMA subscribers around the world, ABI Research says. The WCDMA subscriber sector is moving particularly fast, growing 102% YTY and 16.6% QTQ. 3G subscribers are providing a much-needed shot in the arm for mobile operators, because they deliver an average revenue per user (ARPU) that is 5% to 20%% greater than the average. For many operators, the period Q2 2004 to Q2 2006 proved challenging, as competition pushed down on ARPU but the additional revenue streams from non-voice applications failed to compensate.

With over 93 commercial networks in operation, HSPA is likely to account for the majority of investment in global mobile broadband networks over the next five years, according to Arthur D. Little. By comparison mobile WiMax will be a niche technology within the overall global mobile broadband wireless access market, likely to account for at most 15% of this network equipment market and perhaps 10% of mobile broadband wireless subscribers by 2011-2012.

ABI Research forecasts that in terms of power consumption OPEX, by 2011 the cost of delivering wireless services to WCDMA customers will be near $14 per annum, while Metro Wi-Fi will be as low as just over $1.

Within six years since its introduction, 3G CDMA has gained approximately 402 mln subscribers worldwide and more than 30 mln 3G subscribers are added every quarter. In leading markets such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States, the number of 3G subscribers already has surpassed that of 2G subscribers.

Nearly 40% of US respondents couldn’t correctly identify whether or not their mobile carrier offered 3G service, In-Stat says.

In the US, 16% of mobile phone users have handsets with 3G technology, but only 10% of those users make use of the 3G functionality. Globally, 20% of consumers have 3G capabilities, with only 9% of users taking advantage of the enhanced service. TNS Global Technology Insights reports that US consumers, when compared to consumers around the world, are more likely to look for mobile phones with features such as a still camera (42% versus 35%), mobile Internet (19% versus 12%), email (22% versus 12%), and mobile gaming (13% versus 7%) when making their next phone purchase. Generally, 40 to 50% of US consumers who use mobile TV, electronic banking, on-line gaming, location services and subscription services use them daily. This compares to 20 to 25% daily usage for the rest of the world.

Mobile network infrastructure revenue will peak at $14.6 bln in 2008 in Western Europe. 3G mobile network equipment will generate $13.7 bln in the same year, Gartner says.

GPS in the GSM mobile phone has always seemed to be a year away. But 2007 may be the year that it finally arrives, and 25% of WCDMA handsets will offer GPS by the end of 2008, according to ABI Research.

GaAs device demand will show significant growth, with overall demand approaching $1 bln by 2010, second only to demand from the cellular handset market, Strategy Analytics says. While the WiMAX market will remain in the early stages, GaAs semiconductors will dominate specific functions in the RF module and demand will grow at a CAAGR (compound annual average growth rate) of 69%.

3G subscriptions, including CDMA2000, are forecast to hit 285 mln by the end of 2006, says ABI Research. W-CDMA is starting to pull its weight in the 3G stakes, and is expected to overhaul CDMA2000 by about 2012.

3G Americas says that GSM technology has taken more than 50% of the market share in the Americas region, adding nearly 100 mln new customers from June 2005 to June 2006. At the end of Q2 2006, 2 bln of the world’s 2.41 bln cellular subscribers used GSM/UMTS. In Q2 2005, GSM held 38% of the Americas market. In Q2 2006 that market share has grown to 51%.

ABI Research indicates that the worldwide EDGE handset market will reach 148 mln shipments in 2006, representing 14% of the total mobile phone market.

Nearly 5% of employees in US companies report that they have already adopted 3G services and an additional 15% to 20% would be likely to do so reports In-Stat. Nearly 30% of employees surveyed indicated they would like to use a mobile email device. Current usage is under 15% among respondents. Among Wi-Fi users who pay for access, mean monthly spending for all business sizes is roughly $40 per month. About 10% of respondents who have monthly subscriptions to Wi-Fi also use pay-per-usage hotspots, causing unforeseen telecommunication expenses for their companies.

In Europe some 60 commercial 3G networks have already been rolled out. 3G technology is being used by 47 mln subscribers worldwide, and their number is rising fast. 3G penetration in Western Europe will grow to more than 60% by 2010, Deutsche Bank says. Italy and the UK will boast the highest 3G penetration rates in 2010, while Belgium and Greece will have the lowest. Germany and France will rank just below the Western European average.

As China enters a period of uncertainly from impending industry restructuring, the meteoric rise in India’s mobile subscribers will buoy the region’s growth at 11% CAGR over 2006-2010. Total mobile subscribers are forecast to reach 1.05 bln by 2010 for the aggregated 10 key markets of Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, the PRC, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, according to IDC. The mobile services market in APEJ enjoyed buoyant growth in 2005; with subscribers rising 19% to 628.5 mln and revenue amounting to $81.4 bln representing 18% jump over 2004. Mobile penetration is forecast to reach 37% by 2010, a big leap from 23% in 2005. The growing popularity of prepaid services across the region represents the leading factor driving mobile adoption, which continue to lower the entry barriers for nascent demand and to extend the addressable market to new segments. Supported by the launch of 3G networks in China by the time of the Beijing Summer Olympics, IDC forecasts 3G subscribers to account for 13.5% of the APEJ market by 2010.

Strategy Analytics’ on-going research into 3G subscriber tracking shows that more than 100 mln people around the globe are now using WCDMA and CDMA2000 1x EV-DO 3G technology on their mobile phones. Strategy Analytics predicts reaching 106 mln 3G users by the end of Q2 2006, with the total number of 3G users worldwide hitting the magic 100 mln mark for this populist technology in early June 2006.

The number of 3G mobile phones in Finland doubled in the month after new laws took effect on April 1 allowing bundled sales of phones and subscriptions, mobile operator Elisa reported.

China will have 5.5 mln 3G subscribers within the first 12 months that these services are available, according to Norson Information Technology. That number will rise to 21.9 mln by the end of the second year and hitting 84.2 mln by the end of the third year.