Gartner Says Worldwide Telecom Market Revenue to Grow 7.6 Percent in 2008

For First Time in History, North America Will No Longer Be the
Largest Regional Telecom Market as It Is Surpassed by Asia/Pacific

STAMFORD, Conn.,
September 17,
2008
—

The
worldwide telecommunications market is on pace to reach $2 trillion in
2008, a 7.6 percent increase from 2007 revenue of $1.8 trillion,
according to Gartner, Inc. The industry does face challenges as growth
in the fixed voice sector and in the most developed countries has
slowed or even begun to shrink.

"Revenue from telecom services has traditionally dominated the market,
accounting for four out of every five dollars earned in the sector,"
said Will Hahn, principal research analyst at Gartner. "We forecast
that this historic proportion will now shrink, an indication that
legacy revenue is no longer sufficient for carriers to justify their
investments and that the growing equipment sector is being deployed to
support new and converged services, as well."