CDMA2000 is providing 3G mobile telephony to Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean have more commercially deployed CDMA2000 networks than any other region in the world. VIVO (formerly Telesp Celular) deployed the first 3G technology, CDMA2000 1X network in Brazil in December 2001, providing their subscribers with an array of new mobile multimedia services. Today, t here are 30 CDMA2000 1X networks in South and Central America and the Caribbean. There is also a growing interest in CDMA2000 1xEV-DO in the region. The first CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network was deployed by Vesper in Brazil in April 2003 offering wireless broadband access at higher speeds than ADSL and cable modem. Now, there are 11 commercial CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks, including Brazil, Perú, Guatemala, Venezuela and Chile and 11 more are being deployed.

CDMA2000 is leading the 3G market in Latin America and the Caribbean with more than 23 million subscribers. Today, the region has more than 58 million CDMA users, nearly a quarter of the subscribers in the region. Latin America is one of the fastest-growing regions for CDMA technologies, with the subscriber base increasing on average 37% per annum. This performance, together with the impressive growth of the technology in North America, clearly shows that CDMA is and will continue to be a leading technology in the Americas.

CDMA is an ideal platform to serve the current and future telecommunication needs of Latin America and the Caribbean. With exploding demand for voice services and emerging markets for data, operators need to cover both densely populated urban centers and vast rural areas, and deliver services quickly and cost effectively. CDMA’s spectral efficiency allows operators to deliver voice services to the mass market; it offers an easy migration to Third Generation (3G) services for TDMA and CDMA operators while preserving investment in existing infrastructure; it works in several frequency bands (450, 800, 1900 and 2100 MHz) allowing re-use of the operator’s current spectrum and it is an ideal platform on which to introduce advanced services.

A new opportunity is emerging in the region – universal access to voice and data services. Governments, regulators and service providers in many countries, including in Latin America and the Caribbean, are deploying or testing CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO at 450 MHz (also known as CDMA450) to provide basic telephony services and access to the Internet in underserved areas.

The CDG has strong ties in Latin America. Through our regional office in Argentina, we provide support to local operators and our member companies, promote CDMA at industry conferences and work with regulators and media. We have signed Cooperation Agreements with the Inter -American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and the Asociación Hispanoamericana de Centros de Investigación y Empresas de Telecomunicaciones (AHCIET), and work closely with Asociación de Empresas de Telecomunicaciones de la Comunidad Andina (ASETA).

Team Leader Contact Details

• Celedonio von Wuthenau , CDG, +54 11 4328 6210; cvwuthenau@cdg.org