WASHINGTON, D.C.-A total of 33.8 million people were cellular customers in the United States at the end of 1995, a 40 percent rise compared with the 24 million customers reported in 1994, according to the latest semi-annual report by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.
It’s not the 50-percent growth experienced two years ago, but CTIA remains optimistic because 9.6 million are new customers.
“More than 5.6 million new customers chose to sign up in the past six months alone,” said CTIA President Thomas Wheeler. “That’s the equivalent of adding 1,278 new customers every hour.”
CTIA gathered data on current cellular systems and didn’t include personal communications services.
Cellular revenues for the past six months were $10.3 billion, 34 percent higher than the second half revenues of 1994. Total revenues for 1995 increased 34 percent, to more than $19 billion, up from $14.2 billion in 1994.
Roaming revenues totaled $2.54 billion in 1995, compared with $1.83 billion in 1994.
Customer bills continue to drop. The average monthly bill for cellular service dropped from $56.21 in 1994 to $51.00 in 1995. That reflects a 47 percent decline since 1987, when the average monthly bill was $96.83.
