Mobile Phone Companies - Cell Phone Service - Wireless Providers

Mobile Phone Companies

These are the world's largest mobile phone companies, by number of subscribers. The primary cellular technology used by each carrier is shown in parentheses.

China Mobile (GSM) - 137.1 million
Vodafone (GSM) - 125.3 million
T-Mobile (GSM) - 87 million
Orange (GSM) - 40 million
mmO2 (GSM)
TIM (GSM)

United States
These are the largest mobile phone companies in the United States, by number of subscribers. The primary cellular technology used by each carrier is shown in parentheses.

Verizon Wireless (IS-2000) (44% owned by Vodafone) - 40 million
Cingular (IS-136, GSM) - 24 million
AT&T Wireless (IS-136, GSM) - 21.9 million
Sprint PCS (IS-2000) - 19.3 million
T-Mobile (GSM) - 14.3 million (5/2004)
Nextel (iDEN) - 12.3 million
ALLTEL (IS-2000) - 8 million
US Cellular (IS-2000) - 4.4 million
Note: AT&T Wireless has agreed to be purchased by Cingular. The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in late 2004 or early 2005. The new Cingular will leapfrog Verizon Wireless to become the largest wireless carrier in the U.S.
In North America, IS-2000 is commonly known as CDMA. IS-136 is known as TDMA. However, CDMA and TDMA are general terms that can refer to several different technologies.

Germany
These are the largest mobile phone companies in Germany. The present telecommunication standard in Germany is GSM, called "D-Netz" (900 MHz) and "E-Netz" (1800 MHz). It is the successor of the analogous "C-Netz".

T-Mobile (GSM) - 26.7 million subscribers (3/2004)
Vodafone (GSM) - 23.3 million subscribers (3/2003)
E-Plus (GSM) - 8.0 million subscribers (9/2003)
O2 (GSM) - 5.6 million subscribers (12/2003)

Romania
These are the largest mobile phone companies in Romania. Romania has 7,483,138 subscribers in total (April 2004), or 33.6% penetration rate.

Connex GSM Romania (GSM) - 3,672,138 subscribers (49.07% market share)
Orange Romania (GSM) - 3,611,000 subscribers (48.26% market share)
Zapp Mobile (IS-2000) - 120,000 subscribers (1.60% market share)
Cosmorom, a division of Romtelecom (GSM) - 80,000 subscribers (1.07% market share)