LG Electronics No. 1 in Chile's CDMA Handset Market
- LGE delivers a total of 200,000 CDMA handsets to Chile this year to take 46% of the market - CDMA handset export to South America expected to record US$200 million in 2001 - With Brazil, the largest market in Central and South America, as the center to expand export to neighboring countries of Argentina and Venezuela
LG Electronics recently announced that LGE'sCDMA handsets have the largest share of Chile's handset market at 46%. In 2001, it delivered a total of 200,000 CDMA handsets to Chile. Such accomplishment was achieved only after two and a half years of market entry for LGE. In other words, since first coming to Chile？ CDMA handset market in late 1999, LGE has succeeded in becoming a strong first mover in Chile.
LGE is currently supplying the latest wireless Internet PCS phone (Model: LG-SP110) to Smartcom PCS's Chile's only CDMA-based PCS service provider. Presence of LGE's handset has been growing exponentially first taking 30% of the market in 2000 and now 46% of the market.
LGE's LG-SP110 model is a 1.9GHz CDMA PCS single mode phone. It is the latest flip type wireless Internet handset that has a WAP browser to support Internet surfing, emailing, and wireless data access.
Currently, a total of four mobile service providers (CDMA-based Smartcom, GSM-based Entel, TDMA-based Telefonica, and Bellsouth) are offering mobile services to over 3 million subscribers.
"The current growth rate of the Central and South American CDMA market led by Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela far exceeds the average growth rate of the global CDMA market of 30%", explains Director In-man Jung of LGE's Central and South American Export Group. Adding, "LGE plans to strengthen its position as the market leader in 2002 not only in Chile, but also in other parts of the region."
With Smartcom expected to launch cdma2000 1x service early next year, LGE plans to introduce new cdma2000 1x handset models and strengthen marketing efforts along with customer services to solidify its market leadership.
