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Every year around this time, representatives of the various technology camps post their latest subscriber numbers, always with the message that the figures affirm the competitiveness of their industries.
The CDMA Development Group says its subscriber growth indicates continued demand for its near-term ability to offer faster data services, its graceful migration path to 3G and its assortment of operational benefits.
The Universal Wireless Communications Consortium says its growth figures show that operators see an economy of scale and multiple options for technology evolution gained from TDM.A's ties to the GSM world.
The GSM camp is such a global powerhouse that it hardly has to explain its market presence. It has captured 70 percent of the worldwide market already, with 475 million subscribers, according to numbers released last week by the GSM Association. And there's still a good chunk of analog networks out there, waiting to be converted someday.
The fight for new business in the analog base, competition for contracts to help 2G operators advance to 3G options, as well as 3G deployments in new spectrum mean many more battles for market share will be fought. But what was once a battle over 2G...