Chip Sales to Increase for 1st Time Since 1997, Dataquest Says
10/13/99 9:06:00 PM
Source: Bloomberg News
San Jose, California, Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Worldwide semiconductor sales are on track to increase for the first time since 1997, boosted by demand for chips in mobile phones and other communications devices, a market researcher said.
The recent earthquake in Taiwan, where many of the world's chips are made, won't derail rising sales, said San Jose, California-based Dataquest.
Semiconductor sales revived this year as mobile phones became popular in many parts of the world and as the Internet spurred demand for chips in computer networking equipment. Dataquest forecast rising sales through 2002. This year, sales will reach $155 billion, up 14 percent from 1998.
``Key drivers of the semiconductor market will continue to be communications equipment, consumer electronics and PCs,' Dataquest analyst Dale Ford said in a statement.
Those markets account for about two-thirds of total semiconductor revenue, Dataquest said.
Chip sales will reach $250 billion by 2003, the firm said. Sales of dynamic random access memory chips, the most common memory chips in personal computers, will lead the sales increase, rising to $48 billion in 2003 from $21 billion this year.
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