re: 66 New GSM or 3GSM Network Operators in 6 months
* New members add twelve new GSM countries:
Afghanistan Argentina Belize Brazil
Costa Rica Gambia Grenada Myanmar
Panama Peru Sao Tome/Principe
Trinidad/Tobago
* GSM now in 178 countries
* Nine new third generation network operators:
Austria Costa Rica Sweden Korea
Israel Thailand Germany Italy
Portugal
* GSM networks serve 677 million customers (end March 2002)
>> GSM Association Welcomes 122 New Member Companies At 47Th Plenary Meeting
GSM Association
Press Release
17 April 2002
Proof that the wireless industry continues to expand came today in Rome as the GSM Association, the voice of the world's wireless network operators, officially welcomed 122 new Members and Associate Members that have joined the organisation at its 47th Plenary Meeting, hosted by TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile).
The new members bring a further twelve countries under the Association's global representation. These include Afghanistan, Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Gambia, Grenada, Myanmar, Panama, Peru, Sao Tome & Principe, Trinidad and Tobago - taking the number of countries under the GSM umbrella to more than 178.
Scott Fox, Chairman of the GSM Association, said: "We are delighted at the number of new members that that have joined us over the last six months. Seeing 66 new operators - including second and third generation networks - coming to into this community ten years after the very first GSM network was launched demonstrates that while the industry is mature it is continuing to expand significantly."
GSM Association CEO, Rob Conway said: "The GSM family of wireless communications continues to be the world's fastest growing and most widely deployed wireless platform. It is very gratifying to see clear evidence of this in terms of both new network operators and manufacturers and suppliers coming on board."
The Association latest in-take reflects the accelerating pace of convergence toward 3GSM, as the world's preferred third generation global wireless services platform.
Nine new third generation network operators are among the latest in take. These include 3GSM service networks from Austria, Costa Rica, Sweden, Korea, Israel, Thailand, Germany, Italy and Portugal, taking the Association's total 3G licensed operator membership to more than 60. Of the Association's 500 plus network operator members, some 110 already have GPRS networks in commercial deployment, with a further 16 in testing or implementation phases.
The main focus of the GSMA's Plenary in Rome is to drive the wireless data market forward, with emphasis on GPRS Roaming and the acceleration of Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) development. These are just two priorities for the operator community today, as identified through CEO & CTO focus in the GSMA's Industry leaders programme.
Application developers, software companies, manufacturers and a host of other innovative companies are among the 57 new Associate Members. The wide-ranging expertise demonstrated by the variety of specialisations within the Associate Member companies is a further example of the close ties being forged between the world's network operators and their suppliers, facilitated by the GSM Association.
Associate membership of the GSM Association provides organisations with the opportunity to network closely with their customers through attendance at the Association's global gatherings of members, and through participation in Working Groups, Interest Groups & Regional Groups and Task Forces that are shaping the wireless industry's future along with many other benefits.
New Network Operator Members that have joined the GSM Association during the last year:
ACT Mobile Company, Limited - Thailand (GSM 1900 / 3G)
Africell (Gambia) Ltd - Gambia (GSM 900)
Belize Telecommunications Ltd - Belize (GSM 1900)
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited - India (GSM 900)
Bouygues Telecom Caraibe - French West Indies (GSM 900 / 1800)
Cable & Wireless Panama - Panama Network Operator (GSM 800)
Cell C (Pty) Ltd - South Africa (GSM 1800)
CELLCO Sarl - The Democratic Republic of Congo (GSM 900)
Cellcom Israel Ltd - Israel (GSM 1800 / 3G)
Centrafrique Telecom Plus - Central African Republic (GSM 900)
Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD - Bulgaria (GSM 900 / 1800)
Curacao Telecom N.V. - Netherlands Antilles (GSM 900 / 1900)
DIGICEL, S.A. de C.V. - El Salvador (GSM 900)
Dobson Communications Corporation - USA (GSM 1900)
Econet Wireless Nigeria Ltd - Nigeria (GSM 900 / 1800)
Enterprise of Telecommunications Lao (ETL) - Lao (GSM 900)
FSM Telecommunications Corporation - Federated States of Micronesia (GSM 900)
Grenada Wireless Ventures Ltd - Grenada (GSM 900 / 1900)
Group 3G UMTS GmbH - Germany (3G)
HI3G Access AB - Sweden (3G)
Hutchison 3G Austria GmbH - Austria (3G)
Hutchison Telecommunications Argentina S.A. - Argentina (GSM 900)
I.C.E (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) Costa Rica (GSM 1800/3G)
Info Quest - Commercial & Industrial S.A - Greece (GSM 1800)
IPSE 2000 S.p.A. - Italy (GSM 900)
JSC Sakhalin Telecom Mobile - Russia (GSM 1800)
Key Communications, LLC - USA (GSM 1900)
Libertis Telecom - Congo (GSM 900)
M/s Barakhamba Sales & Services Limited - India (GSM 1800)
MTN Nigeria Communications Limited - Nigeria (GSM 900 / 1800)
MTS Uslugina Mobilna Telefonija AD - Skopje (GSM 900)
Nationlink - Somalia (GSM 900)
Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) - Nigeria (GSM 900 / 1800)
OJSC Mobile Communication Systems-Povolzhie - Russia (GSM 900 / 1800)
Oklahoma Western Telephone Company - USA (GSM 1900)
ONI WAY Infocomunicacoes SA - Portugal (3G)
Orange Reunion - Reunion (LA) (GSM 900 / 1800)
Orange Sverige AB - Sweden (3G)
Orascom Telecom Algerie Spa - Algeria (GSM 900 / 1800)
Outremer Telecom - Reunion (LA) (GSM 1800)
P/F Kall - Faroe Islands (GSM 900)
Quantum Communications Group Inc - USA (GSM 1900)
Saint Martin et Saint Barthelemy Tel Cell SARL - French West Indies Network Operator (GSM 900/1800)
SETAR (Servicio di Telecomunicaion di Aruba), Netherlands Antilles (GSM 1800/1900)
SIBCHALLENGE LTD - Russia (GSM 900)
SK IMT Co Ltd - Republic of Korea (3G)
Spacetel Syria - Syria (GSM 900 / 1800)
Supercell Sprl - Congo, Democratic Republic of (GSM 900/1800)
Syriatel Holding S.A. - Syria (GSM 900 / 1800)
Tele-Com Mobile (Pty) Ltd - Lesotho (GSM 900)
TELECOM VANUATU LIMITED - Vanuatu (GSM 900)
Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd - Trinidad & Tobago (GSM 1800)
Telefonica Comunicaciones Personales SA - Argentina (GSM 1900)
Telephone Systems International Inc - Afghanistan (GSM 900/1800)
Telesur - Suriname (GSM 900 / 1800)
Telsom Mobile Somalia - Somalia (GSM 900)
TIM Celular Centro Sul S.A. - Brazil (GSM 1800)
TIM Rio Norte S.A. - Brazil (GSM 1800)
TIM Sao Paulo S.A. - Brazil (GSM 1800)
TNL PCS S.A. - Brazil (GSM 1800)
Tonga Communications Corporation - Tonga (GSM 900)
Triton PCS License Company LLC - USA(GSM 1900)
Vodafone Albania - Albania (GSM 900 / 1800)
Western Wireless International d.o.o. - Slovenia (GSM 1800)
ZAO 'Ural GSM' - Russia (GSM) <<
- Eric - |
