CDMA EV-DO handsets top 26 million in 2005

The CDMA Development Group today said that shipments of CDMA 1X EV-DO handsets and other terminals totaled 26.7 million in 2005, more than doubling the previous year’s shipments of 10.9 million.

The 3G technology is seeing rapid uptake worldwide as 30 operators worldwide have launched EV-DO networks, including U.S. carriers Verizon Wireless, Sprint and Alltel. EV-DO terminal sales accounted for 17% of all CDMA devices sold, and those numbers are expected to balloon as carriers in North America, South America and Asia ramp up their 3G services. The CDG estimates EV-DO handset shipments will more than double again in 2006 to 54.2 million units. And by 2009, EV-DO handset shipments--including new revision A VoIP-enabled terminals--will break 200 million, accounting for more than 90% of all CDMA terminals shipped.

The CDG’s GSM counterpart, 3G Americas, reported its own 3G data. Instead of announcing terminals shipped, however, it reported 33 million subscriber additions for UMTS 3G services worldwide bringing total UMTS subscribers to 50 million.

CDMA vendors shipped 160.4 million terminals in 2005, a 13% increase over 2004, according the CDG data. That represents 21% of all cellular devices shipped worldwide, down slightly from 22% the year before and 23% in 2003. So while CDMA carriers are making strides in the 3G arena, its stake in overall global subscriber share is on the decrease, a trend the CDG’s own data--compiled by Deustche Bank--expects to continue gradually over the next few year’s culminating in 19% share of the handset market in 2006. However, CDG also expects that nine out 10 CDMA handsets will be EV-DO handsets in 2009, giving it much higher proportion of global 3G terminal sales.