The US will be the largest 3G market in the world by 2011, according to a new report. But not for long.
TeleGeography claims that while Japan currently has 50% more 3G subscribers than the US, its market saturation means the US will overtake it by 2011.
However, the report also predicts that by 2014, China will overhaul the US to become the biggest 3G market in the world, while India will take third spot, knocking Japan down to fourth place.
"On a regional basis, the number of Asian 3G subscribers at the end of 2013 will be two times greater than the number of Western European subscribers and four times greater than the number of 3G subscribers in North America," claims TeleGeography.
While statistical willy-waving over who's top of the 3G charts is fun enough, it's the growth in China and India that offers a beguiling mix of opportunities and challenges for mobile entertainment firms.
Of course, 3G isn't the whole story in the next five years: by 2014, many of the developed markets will hopefully be well into their rollout of 4G networks like LTE.
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