OYSTER BAY, N.Y.-UMTS technology will almost double its market growth this year compared with 2003, according to ABI Research’s latest “Wireless Infrastructure Quarterly Service” report.
The update attributed the growth not so much to higher data rates and video services as to increased voice capacity at a lower cost per subscriber than GSM. It also said local and international legislation will contribute to the protocol’s prospects.
The report added that GSM and EDGE technologies are enjoying greater uptake driven by demand not only in the developed world but also in the emerging markets of China and Latin America.
“While infrastructure manufacturers continue to deal with the typical growing pains experienced by any new technology, GSM represents a safe haven for the majority of today’s subscribers,” said Ray Jodoin, ABI Research’s director of wireless infrastructure research.
