Subscription growth will fall by more than half to 8.9 per cent in 2009, says In-Stat.
The research firm says that although mobile shipments and subs have held up relatively well during the recession, the outlook is less rosy.
In-Stat expects subscriptions will fare better than handset shipments because the unemployed and lower paid will maintain their subs but may not replace their devices
Highlight findings are:
* After experiencing a 19.3 per cent growth in subscriptions in 2008, subscription growth will fall by more than half to 8.9 per cent in 2009 and by 6.3 per cent in 2010.
* Handset shipments will fall 20.5 per cent in 2009 compared to 2008.
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* It will take until 2011 for shipments to regain robust growth, with a 9.6 per cent increase forecasted.
* Middle East and Africa will have 75.2 million WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+ subscriptions by 2013.
* SC-SCDMA subscriptions in Asia Pacific will rise more than ten-fold between 2009 and 2013.
