Friday, 11 July 2008

China, India & Africa Lead Cellular Subscription Growth

Fueled by rapid growth in China, India, and Africa, worldwide cellular subscriptions continued to expand rapidly in 2007, reports In-Stat.

According to the high-tech market research firm, due to some areas approaching saturation and a relatively slow world economy, subscription growth in 2008 is expected to be much less, the high-tech market research firm says.

"India and China subscription numbers are growing at a fast clip, as more of the population gets their first cell phone, and often their first phone of any kind," says Allen Nogee, In-Stat analyst.

"Most of these phones are low-end GSM phones, but even some of these phones are starting to incorporate more high-end features."

The number of worldwide cellular subscriptions in 2007 grew by 667.6 million over 2006 and In-stat has forecasted the growth in 2008 to be 382.5 million more than 2007’s growth.

By 2012, yearly growth in subscribers is expected to decrease to only 163 million per year, roughly twice the population increase projected in that year.