Report: 27% Of World To Be Wireless By 2007

About 27 percent of the world's population -- about 1.8 billion people -- will use wireless services by 2007, according to a study released Wednesday by the Yankee Group.

The growth in the use of wireless services will be the result of fast growth in Asia, Latin America and Africa, according to the report. The growth will result in an 8.7 percent annualized growth rate in money spent on wireless services worldwide, according to the research firm.

The highest growth rate will be in the Asia-Pacific region, which will account for 38 percent of all wireless revenues by 2007.

"The mobile communications industry is on track to reach its target of 2 billion customers worldwide," Declan Lonergan, Yankee Group's wireless/mobile Europe director said in a statement. "The only uncertainty that remains is the timing for this next major milestone. At projected growth rates for the remainder of this decade, the industry will struggle to achieve 2 billion subscribers by 2010, but it will come close."