California has emerged as the center of the U.S. wireless communications industry, with almost twice as many workers in the sector as Texas, its nearest rival, according to a report released this week.
California has the most headquarters of publicly listed wireless companies, representing more than 28% of the industry, according to the report by O"Melveny Consulting and the San Diego Regional Technology Alliance.
The state, the nation"s most populous, also hosts more than 2,000 wireless companies, nearly double the 1,100 in Texas, which has the second highest concentration among U.S. states, the report said.
California also has more than 60,000 wireless-sector workers, nearly double the 34,000 in Texas, representing a total payroll of $3.5 billion.
Within the state, Los Angeles and neighboring areas have the greatest number of wireless firms and employees among California regions, or roughly 800 firms and 22,500 employees, the report said.
The San Francisco Bay area has received the most venture capital in the state for wireless companies, or nearly $4 billion over 8 years.
San Diego, home to industry giant Qualcomm has California"s highest concentration of wireless employees: 484 wireless employees per 100,000 residents, a result of jobs created by local companies associated with Qualcomm, said Cliff Numark, a managing director with Los Angeles-based O"Melveny Consulting, a subsidiary of law firm O"Melveny & Myers.
Additionally, Nokia, Siemens, Ericsson and Kyocera have offices in the San Diego area, drawn there by technical talent associated with Qualcomm and other area wireless companies, Numark said.