It’s official: 2011 was biggest device year ever

A record 479 mobile phones and wireless devices were certified by the Global Certification Forum (GCF) during 2011, an increase of 14 percent on 2010 and more than double since 2006.
98 percent of certified devices incorporated GSM and 321 devices – 67 percent of the total – incorporated 3G (WCDMA/UMTS). The importance of higher data rates is reflected in the fact that 64 percent of certified devices incorporated HSDPA and nearly half (49 percent) supported enhanced-uplink (HSUPA).

The extent to which mobile technologies are being deployed across increasingly diverse spectrum was highlighted by 3G device certifications in eight different bands including three specific to the US and two specific to Japan. Some 221 new devices incorporated 3G in the 900 MHz band which is currently widely used for GSM.

Mobile Device Trends, an analysis of devices certified by GCF in 2011, can be downloaded from the GCF website (or via http://bit.ly/MobileDeviceTrends)

“GCF Certification provides a widely respected assurance of a device’s interoperability and its relevance to a wide pool of operators. As 3GPP mobile technologies are deployed across increasingly diverse spectrum bands, certified multimode, multiband devices become increasingly important to preserving the economies of scale of a global market,” said Adriana Nugter, GCF’s Operations Manager. “The record number of certifications in 2011 confirms the value that manufacturer and operator members place on the scheme.”

Copies of Mobile Device Trends will be available from the GCF booth at the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona between February 27 and March 1.

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