Growing demand in China, Japan and South Korea is keeping code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile networks neck and neck with Asia's nascent third-generation (3G) mobile services market.
Proponents say the number of subscribers to CDMA2000 and cdmaOne systems in the Asia Pacific expanded by 18 million to reach 63 million in the year to June 30.
More than half of these are on high-speed, internet-ready CDMA2000-based networks.
'We've left those on the GSM [global system for mobile communication] side scratching their heads,' said Perry LaForge, executive director at the non-profit trade association CDMA Development Group.
Despite a shelved deployment in Singapore and competition from rival 3G projects announced by GSM operators, CDMA continued to be rolled out in many parts of Asia - including in Japan and South Korea, Mr LaForge said.
He noted that China Unicom had done 'fairly well' after a slow start. Using handset subsidies, the mainland operator grew CDMA subscribers to about 10 million as of June.