Nearly half of subs are in the East.
According to the GSMA Asia Pacific Mobile Observatory 2011 report, Asia Pacific will reach 3bn connections in Q1 2012 – nearly two years earlier than projected.
By 2015, the region could have 4.1bn connections and account for 40 per cent of mobile data traffic worldwide.
Tom Phillips, chief government and regulatory affairs officer of the GSMA, said: "Asia Pacific is one of the world's fastest-growing mobile markets, through an impressive combination of investment and innovation.
"China alone currently has 940 million total mobile connections, exceeding the total number of connections in Europe and the US combined."
Other key factors in the growth of the Asia Pac region include:
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* Investment in HSPA+/LTE
* Affordable pre-paid services (84 per cent of Asia Pacific connections versus 66 per in Europe and 15 per cent in USA/Canada)
* Introduction of low-cost handsets and reduction in mobile usage prices
* Innovative business models including infrastructure sharing
* Limited fixed-line infrastructure, driving many consumers to adopt mobile
There has also been a socio-economic uplift from mobile, with the market across the AP 17 countries generating an estimated $485 billion, or 2.7 per cent of total GDP.
But there's more to come. Penetration rates in China and India currently stand at just over 60 per cent, which means that approximately one billion people are still without a mobile connection.
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