Also see our GSM North America Section

The North American GSM Alliance LLC reported today that more than 660,000 U.S. and Canadian customers signed up for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) wireless service in the second quarter of 1999.

"This brings the total of GSM customers in North America to 4.2 million,'' said Bob Stapleton, the new Chairman of the North American GSM Alliance LLC, and President of VoiceStream Wireless. "This reflects an increase of more than double the number of customers from a year ago. By the end 1999, we could reach 6 million GSM customers in North America.''

According to Stapleton, GSM service providers in North America now offer commercial service in nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 46 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.

"In the first six months of 1999, GSM Alliance companies in the U.S. and Canada added 1.2 million new customers -- the equivalent of adding 5 new customers a minute,'' Stapleton said. "With about 180 million GSM customers in the world and 4.2 million GSM customers in North America, GSM remains the world's overwhelming choice for digital wireless service, and is the fastest growing!''

Globally, GSM customers now equal about 50 percent of the entire world wireless market, and two-thirds of the global digital market. The interests of 347 GSM, Satellite and 3G network operators, regulators and administrative bodies from 133 countries and areas of the world are represented by the GSM Association.

North American GSM Alliance members include: Aerial Communications, Inc., Airadigm Communications, Inc.; BellSouth Mobility DCS; Conestoga Wireless Company; Cook Inlet PCS; DIGIPH PCS; Iowa Wireless Services, LP; Microcell Telecommunications Inc.; NPI Wireless; Omnipoint Communications LLC; Pacific Bell Wireless; Powertel, Inc.; STPCS Joint Venture, LLC; TWS, Inc.; Western Total Communications; VoiceStream Wireless Corp.; and Wireless 2000 PCS. 

The GSM Alliance works in cooperation with North American GSM equipment manufacturers: Siemens, Motorola, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks, Nokia and Ericsson. 

See our GSM North America Section