GSM, the most popular wireless standard, now has over 1 billion users. Although a late bloomer in the US, the technology is standard the world over. Just as interesting, over 100 million users pay for mobile data services.
"By the end of 2003, there were just over 1.3 billion mobile phone users worldwide, with CDMA - at 181 million - leading the pack of competing technologies and being the only other one experiencing robust growth.
Meanwhile, analysts have this week noted that more than 100 million people worldwide now use mobile data services - defined as either GPRS, MMS, CDMA2000 1x or i-mode."
Cingular Wireless, T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless are the major GSM carriers in the US. Verizon Wireless is the major CDMA player.