If you’re looking for an opportunity in the US, the wireless industry is the place you’ll want to be in the next several years. According to CTIA, wireless companies could bring an extra 771,000 jobs and up to $151 billion in gross domestic product growth in the next few years. This isn’t a new trend; just check out these stats from CTIA which show how quickly the wireless industry expanded in the past 15 years.
In the early to mid-90s, mobile phones were still large, clunky and carried by only a handful of people. In 1996, that began to change with the introduction of the slim and stylish Motorola StarTAC. The StarTAC was an immediate hit and Motorola sold over 60 million units. Despite the launch of a popular consumer-oriented handset, subscriber count that year was a still a lowly 38.2 million, and revenue only hit $21.5 billion.
Jump ahead five years to 2001 and the wireless industry had improved significantly. RIM was on the rise, the Danger HipTop would put Danger and T-Mobile on the map and the Handspring Treo was about to take the market by storm. Subscriber count had climbed to 118 million, and annualized revenue in the wireless industry has almost tripled to $58.7 billion.
By the time 2006 rolled around, mobile phones were now a common household commodity. Windows Mobile was gaining ground thanks to handsets like the Motorola Q and RIM was at the top of its game. The Canadian manufacturer was ready to introduce the BlackBerry Pearl and soon afterwards, the BlackBerry Curve. The iPhone was also in the works, ready to change the entire mobile industry in 2007. Total US subscribers reached 219.6 million, and revenue was up to $118.3 billion
Today, Verizon alone has over 100 million customers, and the total number of US subscribers has climbed to 322 million. In this same period, revenue has skyrocketed to $164.6 billion. Smartphones are everywhere, and our beloved feature phone is quickly becoming last decade’s technology. If this infographic from CTIA is any indication, the next few years will be an incredible ride for those of us in the wireless space.
