More than 100 million mobile phone subscribers have signed up for 3G, according to the latest report from Strategy Analytics on Thursday.

According to the report, around 70 million subscribers have signed up for WCDMA technologies, with another 30 million using CDMA2000 EV-DO systems. It is widely acknowledged that EV-DO entered the market significantly later than WCDMA.

The research firm said that “finally, 3G has become a want-item for the user.

Sara Harris, who authored the report, said “Much of this success is due to the strong pushes by influential carriers like NTTDoCoMo, Hutchison 3G and SK Telecom… and more recently Vodafone and Verizon Wireless, who have worked hard to drive 3G uptake among their subscribers.”

Strategy Analytics believes the US market is set for rapid growth during 2007 when the country’s largest mobile phone provider Cingular Wireless launches its HSDPA technology.

Finnish vendor Nokia is to expand its cdma2000 handset portfolio through a $129m (ВЈ70m) contract with Korean manufacturer Pantech & Curitel.

Under the deal, Pantech will supply two handset models to Nokia for distribution between June and December of this year. Both models will be equipped with 3G EV-DO technology. One device is known to be the 6315i, while information on the other has not yet emerged.

Since Nokia made a u-turn on its EV-DV strategy in 2004, instead opting to focus on EV-DO, the vendor has looked elsewhere to bring its EV-DO handsets to market.

Nokia’s first EV-DO handset went on sale in the US through reseller LetsTalk.com last month.

The 6305i is available on the Verizon Wireless VCAST network for $150 (ВЈ80).

Although Nokia does make CDMA devices, the 6305i is the company’s first EV-DO model, although it is a Nokia by badge only. The device is actually manufactured by Korean manufacturer SK Teletech.

US operator Verizon Communications is reported to have tabled a ВЈ38bn (ВЈ20.5bn) offer for Vodafone’s 45 per cent stake in wireless division Verizon Wireless.

However, a report in UK newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, claims that Vodafone has placed a value of $50bn on the minority holding, and has rejected Verizon’s initial advance.