h has its limits. The next five years will see a dramatic slowing of worldwide cellular sub- scriber growth, reports In-Stat/MDR. However, despite much noise about a pending catastrophic slowdown in subscriber growth, there will be more than 931 million new subscribers over the next 5 years. By 2007, the total world- wide wireless population will exceed two billion subscribers. A recent report issued by In-Stat/MDR finds that, although China contin- ues to lead the world in overall subscriber growth, the new percentage growth leaders can be found in Southern Asia and Southeast Asia. "It is rather remarkable that the fastest numerically growing country, China, is trailing Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East in compound annual growth rate," says Ken Hyers, a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR. "However, the fact that Western Europe and Scandinavia bring up the rear, as they did in previ- ous 2002 to 2006 forecasts, should be no surprise." Indeed, In-Stat/MDR finds that Western Europe's growth virtually stops during the 2002-2007 forecast period, with a compounded annual growth rate of 1.2 percent. This statistic is hardly surprising in light of the fact that mobile phone penetration rate in 2007 will be 83.6 percent. Meanwhile, research from Yankee Group, a Boston-based technology research company, shows that the U.S. wireless industry is approaching matu- rity with impressive speed. Only three years ago, the U.S. wireless industry was one of the few remaining emerging high-growth sectors. However, with almost 50 percent penetration, North Americans now treat wireless like a utility rather than a novelty. "The U.S. wireless industry is facing the threat of becoming like the airline industry with high fixed costs, low variable costs, a perishable product and cut- throat competition," says Roger Entner, Yankee Group's wireless/mobile services program manager. "These conditions make it easy for industry participants to behave in a way that has potentially disastrous consequences ON THE MENU-TELECOM SERVICES in the