cdmaOne Worldwide Subscriber Growth

SINGAPORE, June 23, 1998--The CDMA Development Group (CDG) Tuesday announced that cdmaOne networks now serve more than 12 million subscribers worldwide.

The total puts cdmaOne on track to reach 18 million subscribers by year-end 1998, making the technology the fastest-growing wireless standard in history. The mark also highlights the first anniversary of the cdmaOne brand name, which is achieving growing consumer recognition worldwide.

Tuesday's announcement was made by Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG, at the Third Annual CDMA World Congress at the Raffles City Convention Centre in the Westin Stamford & Westin Plaza, Singapore. The CDMA World Congress will continue through June 25.
"Clearly, cdmaOne is remaining on track as the industry's fastest-to-market standard ever," said LaForge. "During the past year, there has been tremendous growth in every aspect of cdmaOne global diffusion. The technological superiority of cdmaOne is being acknowledged globally with marketplace success. The CDG forecasts that cdmaOne will serve 15 million subscribers worldwide by the end of the third quarter, and 18 million at year end."

The total number of cdmaOne subscribers worldwide is 12.13 million as of June 15, 1998. Asia still boasts the majority of subscribers, with 8.75 million. North America, however, demonstrated significant gains in the last six months, reaching 3.23 million subscribers. Central and South America also showed increased strength as subscriber levels topped 130,000. Significant growth in the second half of 1998 is expected from Asia with Japan beginning deployment of cdmaOne cellular services this summer. The continuing build-out of cdmaOne networks in Central and South America will also drive subscriber growth. Global recognition of the cdmaOne brand name has grown in parallel with cdmaOne subscriber numbers. The brand is already widely known in the telecommunications industry and on Wall Street, and worldwide consumer recognition is now spreading rapidly. A leading example of the use of the cdmaOne brand name in consumer marketing is the campaign by Japanese carriers DDI and IDO, which have signed up "Titanic" star Leonardo DiCaprio to promote the technology. Other companies, including AirTouch, BC Tel Mobility, Lucent Technologies, Lucky Goldstar, Motorola, Nokia and QUALCOMM, have incorporated the cdmaOne brand name into strategic marketing campaigns.

"The DiCaprio example makes it clear that cdmaOne is not just a standard," said LaForge. "It is identified now as the consumer mobile phone technology of choice. Whatever the system or the application may be, cdmaOne air interfaces mean quality."