The US mobile market added about 18 million connection in 2006, and is expected grow by 9 percent this year to pass the 250 million mark by the end of this year according to Wireless Intelligence. Verizon Wireless is catching up on AT&T’s market share, set at 26 percent in the final quarter of 2006. In contrast, Sprint’s market share seems to be stagnating since the second quarter last year. Leap Wireless had the highest growth last year at 33.66 percent.
Data ARPU growing: Over 2006 the major US carriers saw their non-voice ARPU increase by 30-60 percent, driven by the fast adoption of 3G services, according to Wireless Intelligence. This is largely due to improved network coverage and better handsets, and demonstrates that people will use mobile data services if the service is good and the price reasonable. Wireless Intelligence also noted that people with multiple SIMs are distorting the overall non-voice ARPU trend. “With a fast growing prepay installed base and consumers using more than one device, the reality is that market penetration is overstated as we are, in effect, measuring Average Revenue Per SIMs. The growth of Average Revenue Per Real User is understated,” said Joss Gillet.
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