FALLS CHURCH, Va.-The Latin American mobile market is poised to double during the next six years, growing from 98.7 million subscribers in 2002, to 209 million subscribers in 2008, according to a report from market research firm Telecom Trends International.
A total of 59.5 percent of Latin American subscribers used TDMA technologies in 2002, 27.6 used CDMA technology and GSM/GPRS technologies were used by 7.3 percent of subscribers. TTI expects GSM, including GPRS, EDGE and W-CDMA, to emerge as the dominant technology in coming years and to achieve 53-percent market share by 2008.
Mobile communications is the fastest-growing segment of Latin America’s telecommunications industry, according to Jose Otero, author of the report. However, Otero warns that as penetration grows, mobile operators will need to reinvent their positions in the market in order to minimize customer churn and to improve ARPU.
