Synopsis

Mobile penetration in Latin America and the Caribbean was approximately 80% in early 2009, well above the world average, which was about 58%. With 458 million people owning a mobile phone in early 2009, Latin America and the Caribbean holds approximately 12% of the world’s 3.97 billion mobile subscribers. Several countries, including Argentina, Jamaica, Uruguay, and Venezuela have passed the 100% penetration threshold. The region is becoming fertile soil for 3G WCDMA services, following substantial increases in coverage and in subscriber numbers during 2008. In early 2009, there were about 5 million 3G subscribers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Accompanied by key statistics and analyses, this report provides an overview of the region’s mobile market, together with brief profiles of the major mobile operators.