Latin America has 208million GSM users

March 11, 2007

Latin America ended 2006 with a total of 208mn mobile subscribers using GSM technology, with net additions of 81mn during the year, GSM industry association 3G Americas said in a statement.

According to the association, the region ended last year with 62mn CDMA users, up 6mn compared to end-2005.

"GSM was widely successful throughout Latin America again this year, especially in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina," 3G Americas' Latin America and Caribbean director Erasmo Rojas said.

Brazil registered the highest growth, ending 2006 with 63mn GSM users, while Mexico ended with 43mn GSM users and Argentina and Colombia with more than 25mn GSM users each.

"These four countries represented 75% of the 208mn GSM users in Latin America and the Caribbean at the end of 2006," Rojas said.

The executive said one of the reasons for this growth is migration from CDMA to GSM as well as the low cost of GSM mobile devices in the region.