24 June 2004

Momentum for EDGE has continued during the first half of 2004 as mobile operators are choosing the high-speed data technology as a way to offer services right now during the interim it takes WCDMA to ramp up to commercial supplies and prices.

According to a new Visant Strategies report, cellular wireless providers across the globe are looking to EDGE as either a permanent fix for data offerings or as an interim solution to allow more robust data and voice services for the next half-decade.

First half 2004 activity for EDGE includes dozens of additional operators signing up for the technology, as it is being used for capacity upgrades in existing GSM or TDMA networks as well as for a path to high-speed data.

"There's a world of operators out there with a world of needs," said Visant's Larry Swasey, co-author of the report. "And EDGE can fit many of those needs, whether to fix a capacity crunch or offer high-speed services. The first half of 2004 has been good for EDGE, there has been EDGE activity and contracts in all regions of the world."

EDGE sales are delaying some of the sales of next generation equipment in many parts of the world, with several hundred thousand EDGE-enabled base stations to be deployed by 2009, according to "EDGE: Competitive Assessment 2004." The chipset market for EDGE components in wireless handsets will run close to $2 billion in 2009 with over $31 billion worth of GSM/GPRS/EDGE -enabled handsets sold that same year worldwide, according to the study findings.

"We still see WCDMA doing very well," said Andy Fuertes, co-author of the report. "But while it takes time to ramp up to WCDMA, many operators will use EDGE to participate in the data market today and utilize EDGE to make capacity upgrades in the long run."

The study provides global and regional forecasts from 2003 - 2009 for annual EDGE infrastructure shipments and deployments, annual EDGE chipset shipments and revenues, EDGE subscribers per year and yearly EDGE handset shipments.