OYSTER BAY, N.Y.-Despite the dominance of the GSM family of network technologies over the CDMA family of technologies in the wireless market, next-generation CDMA, CDMA2000 1X EV-DO, is gaining traction more rapidly than next-generation GSM, W-CDMA, according to research from Allied Business Intelligence.
Most European operators have delayed W-CDMA network launches to address technical issues, including handset interoperability, and market hurdles. Meanwhile, CDMA2000 1X EV-DO handsets are backward compatible, which eases the transition to advanced networks and improves the overall user experience by enabling seamless roaming for areas not yet upgraded. ABI therefore anticipates the EV-DO network adoption rate will initially remain higher, but over time expects W-CDMA subscribers to outnumber EV-DO subscribers.
ABI estimates that about 20 W-CDMA and EV-DO networks have gone live since NTT DoCoMo Inc. launched the first W-CDMA-based third-generation network in 2001.
