Largest mobile phone companies - Definition and Overview

World

These are the world's largest mobile phone companies, by number of subscribers. The primary cellular technology used by each carrier is shown in parentheses.

• China Mobile (GSM) - 158.6 million
• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS) - 151.8 million
• China Unicom (IS-2000, GSM) - 100.1 million
• T-Mobile¹ (GSM, UMTS) - 65 million
• Cingular (IS-136, GSM, UMTS²) - 49.1 million
• Orange (GSM, UMTS) - 49 million
• NTT DoCoMo (PDC, FOMA) - 45.9 million
• Verizon Wireless (IS-2000) - 42.1 million
• Sprint PCS (IS-2000) - 22.2 million
• mmO2 (GSM) - 21.3 million
• TIM (GSM, UMTS)

¹ 109 million including subscribers to companies where T-Mobile has a minority stake. ² UMTS network currently being tested in six U.S. cities

Americas

United States

These are the largest mobile phone companies in the United States, by number of subscribers. The primary cellular technology used by each carrier is shown in parentheses.

• Cingular (IS-136, GSM, UMTS²) (Joint venture: 60% owned by SBC, 40% owned by BellSouth) - 49.1 million
• Verizon Wireless (IS-2000) (44% owned by Vodafone, 56% owned by Verizon Communications) - 42.1 million
• Sprint PCS (IS-2000) - 22.2 million
• T-Mobile (GSM) - 16.3 million
• Nextel (iDEN) - 15.3 million
• ALLTEL (IS-2000) - 8 million
• US Cellular (IS-136, IS-2000) - 4.8 million
• Dobson Communications (IS-136, GSM) - 1.6 million
• Cricket Communications (IS-2000) - 1.5 million
• Western Wireless (IS-136, IS-2000, GSM) - 1.2 million
• Centennial Wireless (IS-136, GSM) - 0.5 million

² UMTS network currently being tested in six U.S. cities

As of Dec 2004, Sprint PCS and Nextel have entered merger talks. Together they would have nearly 37.5 million subscribers.

As of Jan 2005, ALLTEL is buying Western Wireless. Together they would have 9.2 million subscribers.

In North America, IS-2000 is commonly known as CDMA. IS-136 is known as TDMA. However, CDMA and TDMA are general terms that can refer to several different technologies.

Brazil

• Vivo (CDMA, TDMA) - 26 million
• Claro (GSM, TDMA) - 11,1 million
• TIM Brazil (GSM) - 8 million

Asia Pacific

Australia

• Vodafone (GSM) - 2.57 million
• Optus (GSM)
• Orange Australia (GSM)
• Telstra (GSM)
• 3 (UMTS)

Hong Kong

• CSL (CSL, 1O1O and One2Free) (owned by Telstra, previously by PCCW) (GSM, IS-136)
• 3 (previous Orange Hong Kong, Xin Gan Xian, Everyday PCS, owned by Hutchison Whampoa Telecommunications) (GSM, IS-2000)
• Smartone and eXtra (owned by Sun Hung Kai and British Telecom) (GSM)
• Sunday (GSM)
• Peoples (GSM)
• New World Mobility (GSM)

India

• Airtel
• Hutch
• Idea
• BSNL

New Zealand

• Vodafone (GSM) - 1.8 million
• Telecom (GSM)
• TelstraClear (GSM)

Europe

Austria

• T-Mobile - 2 million
• Orange - 1.5 million

Czech Republic

• T-Mobile - 4 million

France

• Orange (GSM)- 20.4 million
• SFR (GSM)
• Bouygues (GSM)

Germany

These are the largest mobile phone companies in Germany. The present telecommunication standard in Germany is GSM, called "D-Netz" (900 MHz) and "E-Netz" (1800 MHz). It is the successor of the analogous "C-Netz".

• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS) - 26.9 million subscribers (12/2004)
• T-Mobile (GSM, UMTS) - 26.7 million subscribers (3/2004)
• E-Plus¹ (GSM) - 8.5 million subscribers (5/2004)
• O2 (GSM) - 6 million subscribers (3/2004)

¹ Owned by KPN.

Greece

In September 2003 there were 10.88 million active lines, which makes 99% market penetration.

• Cosmote (GSM) - 4.05 million
• Vodafone (GSM) - 3.8 million
• TIM¹ (GSM) - 2.75 million
• Q-Telekom² (GSM) - 0.29 million

¹ Was Telestet until February 2004.

² The newest mobile telecom in Greece uses Vodafone's infrastructure until it builds its own network.

Hungary

• T-Mobile (GSM) - 3.8 million
• Pannon GSM (GSM) - 2.6 million
• Vodafone (GSM) - 1.6 million

Ireland

Together Vodafone and O2 dominate, with a combined market share of 94%.

• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS) - 1.9 million
• O2 (GSM) - 1.27 million
• 3 (UMTS)

Italy

• TIM (GSM, UMTS) -
• Vodafone (GSM) - 17 million
• Wind (GSM) - 7.7 million
• 3 (UMTS)

Netherlands

• Vodafone (GSM) - 3.6 million
• T-Mobile (GSM) - 2 million
• Orange (GSM) - 1.65 million
• KPN (GSM)
• Telfort (GSM)

Romania

These are the largest mobile phone companies in Romania. Romania has 10,195,170 subscribers in total (December 2004), or 46.99% penetration rate.

• Orange Romania (GSM) - 5,000,000* subscribers (48.43% market share)
• Connex GSM Romania (GSM) - 4,910,000 subscribers (48.41% market share)
• Zapp Mobile (IS-2000) - 200,000 subscribers (2.22% market share)
• Cosmorom, a division of Romtelecom (GSM) - 85,170 subscribers (0.94% market share)

*Figure as of 18 January 2005

Russian Federation

These are the largest mobile phone companies in Russia, by number of subscribers. The primary cellular technology used by each carrier is shown in parentheses.

• Mobile TeleSystems - MTS (GSM) - 34.22 million (26.54 million in Russia) - as of 01.01.2005
• VimpelCom - Bee Line GSM (GSM) - 18.25 million
• Megafon (GSM) - 11.5 million

Sweden

• Vodafone (GSM) - 1.57 million
• SpringMobil (GSM)
• Tele2 (GSM)
• Telia (GSM)
• 3 (UMTS)

United Kingdom

• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS) - 15.24 million
• T-Mobile (GSM, UMTS) - 15.2 million
• O2 (GSM) - 13.5 million
• Orange (GSM, UMTS) - 13.3 million
• 3 (UMTS) - 1.2 million

There are also a number of Virtual Mobile Network Operators, including Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile, and easyMobile.

Sources of information

• Greek Mobile Telecoms' data (http://www.myphone.gr/library/article-16.html)
• China Mobile subscriber numbers (http://www.chinamobilehk.com/investor_relations.htm)
• T-Mobile company data (http://www.t-mobile.net/CDA/about_t-mobile,2,0,,en.html?w=1088&h=733)
• Verizon company data (http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/aboutUs/index.jsp)
• Cingular company data (http://cingular.com/about/company_overview)
• AT&T Wireless company data (http://www.attws.com/our_company/)
• Sprint PCS company data (http://www.sprint.com/sprint/fastfacts/overview/)
• Nextel company data (http://nextel.com/about/corporateinfo/profile.shtml)
• T-Mobile USA company data (http://www.t-mobile.com/company/about/quickfacts.asp)
• Orange Statistics (http://www.orange.com/English/aboutorange/whereweare.asp?UID=#)
• O2 Data (http://www.mmo2.com/media/pr_040721a.asp)
• 3 UK data (http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/October2004/8451.htm)
• Mobile TeleSystems data (http://www.company.mtsgsm.com/ir/2005-01-12-0015/)
• Vodafone company data (http://www.vodafone.com/article_wide/0,3041,CATEGORY_ID%253D306%2526LANGUAGE_ID%253D0%2526CONTENT_ID%253D230772,00.html)