Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[khemara_qc]

Majority of New Customers in the Americas Choose GSM

Record 118% Growth in the Western Hemisphere

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- 3G Americas today reported that in
the first quarter of 2004, GSM remains by far the number one mobile technology
chosen by new customers in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
There were nearly 10.5 million new GSM customers added in the Americas in the
first quarter 2004: in the United States and Canada, there were nearly 4.8
million new GSM customers; and in Latin America and the Caribbean, GSM was
chosen by nearly 5.7 million new customers. Information is based on the EMC
World Cellular Database.
GSM is the technology used by more than one billion customers
-- representing 73% of the digital wireless market today. Globally, GSM added
215.3 million new customers from March 2003 to March 2004, more than the total
customer base of any other wireless technology in the world today. In the
first quarter of 2004, new GSM customers throughout the world totaled nearly
55 million.
GSM continues its robust growth year-over-year, adding nearly 35 million
customers in the Americas for an annual gain of 118% from March 2003 to March
2004. This growth rate builds on the momentum of GSM in the Americas, which
had recorded a 100% gain from December 2002 to December 2003. According to
data from EMC, GSM annual percentage growth is five times that of any other
wireless technology in the Americas.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, GSM growth continues at a phenomenal
pace of nearly 190% during this one-year period ended March 2004. Erasmo
Rojas, Director of Latin America and Caribbean for 3G Americas noted that the
decisions in favor of GSM in the Latin American key markets are indicative of
the regional trend. Rojas stated, "Countries that are rapidly expanding their
GSM customer base include Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and
Jamaica. The numbers are remarkable." In Mexico, GSM grew by nearly 710%
annually (through March 2004) adding 5.9 million new customers and in Brazil,
GSM showed more than 300% annual growth in the same time period, adding 6.8
million new customers compared to less than half that amount of new CDMA
customers (3.3 million). Chile remains a strong GSM market adding more than
one million new customers in the year ending March 2004. Colombia only began
offering GSM in the past year and now reports 1.7 million customers in March
2004. Rojas continued, "We are seeing newly licensed operators, as well as a
large number of both TDMA and CDMA operators, choose GSM for their next
generation technology migration strategy."
GSM in the U.S. and Canada showed outstanding results for the GSM
operators with more than an 82% annual growth during the one year ending March
2004.
"GSM continues to be the fastest growing wireless technology in the
Americas," stated Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas. "The industry is
seeing global commercial deployments of EDGE technology, the fastest
nationwide wireless data service available now to more than 220 million people
in the U.S. and launched by seventeen operators worldwide. Globally, there
are 94 operators in 58 countries committed to deploying EDGE who represent
more than a quarter of a billion customers in their subscriber base."
For charts on GSM growth, visit the 3G Americas website at:
http://www.3gamericas.org/English/statistics/index.cfm.

About 3G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Wireless Technology
The mission of 3G Americas is to promote and facilitate the seamless
deployment of GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS (WCDMA) throughout the Americas for
the benefit of consumers. The organization fully supports the Third
Generation technology migration strategy GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS adopted by
many operators in the Americas that is expected to account for up to 85% of
next-generation customers worldwide. 3G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue,
WA with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas, TX. For more
information, visit our website at http://www.3gamericas.org.

About EMC
EMC is a world-leading provider of specialist market intelligence for the
wireless industry with a reputable track record founded on researching and
publishing accurate data and statistics. EMC's Market Data is stored in the
EMC World Cellular Database: http://www.emc-database.com.

Contact:
Vicki Livingston
[phone]
[e-mail]



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