Kyocera Expects 50% Handset Revenue Growth in 2006

US CDMA mobile handset manufacturer Kyocera Wireless aims to grow its sales in Brazil by 50% in 2006 compared to 2005, Fabio Castanheira, Kyocera's general manager in Brazil, told BNamericas.

In Brazil the company recorded 50% growth in handset sales in 2005 compared to 2004, said Castanheira who has just been appointed as Kyocera's new general manager for the Brazilian operation.

Since 2003, Kyocera Wireless has exclusively supplied Brazil's sole CDMA operator Vivo, which is also the country's largest mobile operator.

Kyocera Wireless' revenues from CDMA phones to Vivo are split between 20% for models that target the corporate market, 30% for high earning professionals and 50% for young people, said Castanheira.

In 2006, he expects to see stronger growth in sales to young consumers. "This replacement market is growing," he said.

"These young people initially bought simple phones on fairly low budgets, now they are older and have more money and often want more sophisticated phones," he said.

"The company will also launch six new mobile phone models in 2006," said Natasha Marvin director of international marketing for Kyocera.

In Brazil, Kyocera Wireless has 50 employees with some 80 people in Latin America, where the company works with 26 operators in 16 countries.

Worldwide Kyocera Corporation, which has products ranging from telecoms equipment and semiconductors to cameras and solar energy systems, recorded some US$11.5bn in revenues in 2005.

BNamericas.com"

Posted to the site on 11th March 2006