World

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

• China Mobile (GSM) - 204.3 million
• Vodafone^* (GSM, UMTS) - 151.8 million
• China Unicom (IS-2000, GSM) - 100.1 million
• T-Mobile¹ (GSM, UMTS) - 65 million
• movistar (GSM, UMTS, IS-2000) - 51.3 million
• Cingular (IS-136, GSM, UMTS²) - 50 million
• Orange (GSM, UMTS) - 49 million
• NTT DoCoMo (PDC, FOMA) - 45.9 million
• Verizon Wireless (IS-2000) - 44 million
• Mobile TeleSystems - MTS (GSM) - 34.22 million
• Vivo (IS-2000, IS-136) - 27 million
• Turkcell (GSM) - 23.4 million
• Sprint PCS (IS-2000) - 22.2 million
• O2 (GSM) - 21.3 million
• TIM (GSM, UMTS)

¹ 109 million including subscribers to companies where T-Mobile has a minority stake. ² UMTS network currently being tested in six U.S. cities ^* 350 million including subscriers to companies where Vodafone has a minority stake.

Americas

Canada

• Rogers Wireless - 4.2 million (5.5 million with Fido)
  • Fido (Microcell) 1.3 million
• Bell Mobility - 4.5 million
• TELUS - 3.9 million
• Virgin Mobile - too early to determine

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.

• Cingular (IS-136, GSM, UMTS)(Joint venture: 60% owned by SBC, 40% owned by BellSouth) - 50.0 million
• Verizon Wireless (IS-2000) (44% owned by Vodafone, 56% owned by Verizon Communications) - 44 million
• Sprint PCS³ (IS-2000) - 22.2 million
• T-Mobile (GSM) - 17.3 million
• Nextel³ (iDEN) - 15.3 million
• ALLTEL⁴ (IS-2000) - 8 million
• U.S. Cellular (IS-136, IS-2000) - 4.8 million
• Virgin Mobile USA (IS-2000) - 3 million
• Dobson Communications (IS-136, GSM) - 1.6 million
• Cricket Communications (IS-2000) - 1.5 million
• Western Wireless⁴ (IS-136, IS-2000, GSM) - 1.2 million
• Centennial Wireless (IS-136, GSM) - 0.5 million

³Sprint PCS and Nextel have agreed to merge. Together they will have nearly 37.5 million subscribers.

⁴As of Jan 2005, ALLTEL is buying Western Wireless. Together they would have 9.2 million subscribers.

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.

Brazil

• Vivo (IS-2000, IS-136) - 26 million
• Claro (GSM, IS-136) - 11.1 million
• TIM Brazil (GSM) - 8 million

Argentina

• movistar (GSM)
• Personal (GSM) Owned by Telecom Argentina.
• CTI Movil (GSM)
• Nextel (iDEN)

Asia Pacific

Australia

• Vodafone (GSM) - 2.57 million
• Optus (GSM)
• Orange Australia (GSM)
• Telstra (GSM)
• 3 (UMTS)

Hong Kong

• CSL (CSL, 1O1O and One2Free) (owned by Telstra, previously by PCCW) (GSM-900, GSM-1800, IS-136, UMTS)
• 3 (previous Orange Hong Kong, Xin Gan Xian , Everyday PCS , owned by Hutchison Whampoa Telecommunications) (GSM-900, GSM-1800, IS-95, UMTS)
• Smartone and eXtra (owned by Sun Hung Kai and British Telecom) (GSM-900, GSM-1800 , UMTS)
• Sunday (GSM-1800)
• Peoples (GSM-1800)
• New World Mobility (GSM-1800)

India

• Airtel
• Hutch
• Idea
• BSNL
• Reliance Infocomm
• Tata Teleservices
• MTNL

Japan

• Docomo

Philippines

• Globe
• Smart

New Zealand

• Vodafone (GSM and UMTS) - 1.831 million (or 55.7%) as at 2004-12-31
• Telecom (AMPS, TDMA and CDMA)
• TelstraClear (Virtual Network using Vodafone)

Thailand

• Advance Info Service (GSM) 15.2 million
• DTAC (GSM) 9.1 million
• HUTCH (UMTS)610,000
• Orange (owned by True Corporation) (GSM) 3,704,000
• THAI Mobile (GSM)(UMTS)

Europe

Austria

• T-Mobile - 2 million
• Orange - 1.5 million

Czech Republic

• T-Mobile - 4 million

France

• Orange (GSM)- 20.4 million
• SFR (GSM)
• Bouygues (GSM)

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".

• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS) - 26.9 million subscribers (12/2004)
• T-Mobile (GSM, UMTS) - 26.7 million subscribers (3/2004)
• E-Plus¹ (GSM) - 8.5 million subscribers (5/2004)
• O2 (GSM) - 6 million subscribers (3/2004)

¹ Owned by KPN.

Greece

In September 2003 there were 10.88 million active lines, which makes 99% market penetration.

• Cosmote (GSM) - 4.05 million
• Vodafone (GSM) - 3.8 million
• TIM¹ (GSM) - 2.75 million
• Q-Telekom ² (GSM) - 0.29 million

¹ Was Telestet until February 2004.

² The newest mobile telecom in Greece uses Vodafone's infrastructure until it builds its own network.

Hungary

• T-Mobile (GSM) - 3.8 million
• Pannon GSM (GSM) - 2.6 million
• Vodafone (GSM) - 1.6 million

Ireland

Together Vodafone and O2 dominate, with a combined market share of 94%.

• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS) - 1.9 million
• O2 (GSM) - 1.27 million
• 3 (UMTS)
• Meteor (GSM)

Italy

• TIM (GSM, UMTS) -
• Vodafone (GSM) - 17 million
• Wind (GSM) - 7.7 million
• 3 (UMTS)

Netherlands

• KPN (GSM) - 3.9 million
• Vodafone (GSM) - 3.6 million
• T-Mobile (GSM) - 2 million
• Orange (GSM) - 1.65 million
• Telfort (GSM)

Poland

Poland has 15,100,000 mobile phone subscribers, or 39.09% penetration rate.

• Polkomtel Plus GSM Brand- 33.1% Market Share/ 4.5 million
• Centertel Owned by TPSA and Orange. Service under the IDEA GSM brand- 32.6% Market Share/ 4.4 million .
• PTC-Era GSM Brand. 6.2 Million subscribers/ 40% Market Share

Portugal

• TMN (GSM, UMTS) - 5 million
• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS)
• Optimus (GSM, UMTS)

Romania

These are the largest mobile phone companies in Romania. Romania has 10,275,482 subscribers in total (December 2004), or 47.35% penetration rate.

• Orange Romania (GSM) - 5,000,000* subscribers (48.43% market share)
• Connex GSM Romania (GSM) - 4,910,312 subscribers (48.41% market share)
• Zapp Mobile (IS-2000) - 280,000 subscribers (2.22% market share)
• Cosmorom, a division of Romtelecom (GSM) - 85,170 subscribers (0.94% market share)

*Figure as of 18 January 2005

Russian Federation

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

• Mobile TeleSystems - MTS (GSM) - 37.22 million
• VimpelCom - Bee Line GSM (GSM) - 28.245 million
• Megafon (GSM) - 14.153 million

Spain

• Amena (GSM, UMTS)
• movistar (GSM, UMTS)
• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS)

Sweden

• Vodafone (GSM) - 1.57 million
• SpringMobil (GSM)
• Tele2 (GSM)
• Telia (GSM)
• 3 (UMTS)

Turkey

• Turkcell (GSM) 23.4 million
• Telsim (GSM) 7 million
• Avea (GSM) 4.5 million

United Kingdom

• Vodafone (GSM, UMTS) - 15.24 million
• T-Mobile (GSM, UMTS) - 15.2 million
• O2 (GSM) - 13.5 million
• Orange (GSM, UMTS) - 13.3 million
• 3 (UMTS) - 1.2 million

There are also a number of Virtual Mobile Network Operators, including Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile, and easyMobile.

Middle East & Africa

Bahrain

• MTC-Vodafone Website

Egypt

• Vodafone Egypt (GSM) formerly known as ClickGSM Website
• MobiNil (GSM) Website

Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Vodacom Website

Kenya

• Safaricom Website

Kuwait

• MTC-Vodafone Website

South Africa

• Vodacom Website

Sources of information

• Greek Mobile Telecoms' data
• China Mobile subscriber numbers
• T-Mobile company data
• Verizon company data
• Cingular company data
• AT&T Wireless company data
• Sprint PCS company data
• Nextel company data
• T-Mobile USA company data
• Orange Statistics
• O2 Data
• 3 UK data
• Mobile TeleSystems data
• Vodafone company data
• Turkcell company data