The licensing of the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) band will put the Americas on a par with Asia and Europe in terms of 3G reach according to new research conducted by Global View Partners, a US-based research firm, in partnership with the GSMA, which represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry.
AWS auctions have already occurred in the U.S. and Canada, with many Latin America markets planning to license the spectrum throughout 2009. The research found that prices paid for AWS spectrum in the US and Canada revealed high market demand.
Growth in AWS subscribers and device volumes is also projected for the Americas according to the research. Additional licensing across the region should bring total subscribers with AWS-enabled devices from an estimated 12.4 million at the end of 2009 to an estimated 177.8 million at the end of 2013, a growth rate of 94 per cent each year. As the subscriber base increases, the research suggests that device sales will also grow from an estimated 10.9 million in 2009 to an estimated 114.5 million in 2013, representing a growth rate of 80 per cent each year.
"This research commissioned by the GSMA highlights that the AWS band will bring new opportunities in markets with pent-up demand for broadband services," said Ricardo Tavares, Senior Vice President at the GSMA. "The AWS band will unleash a new range of spectrum that will greatly benefit consumers and increase economic productivity due to the accessibility of mobile broadband. Regulators should move quickly and not delay in making this valuable and viable spectrum available to meet the rapidly growing broadband needs of consumers and businesses across the Americas."
The full report is available at http://hspa.gsmworld.com/news/default.asp?cid=5.
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