RIO DE JANERIO: The number of mobile phone connections in Brazil has climbed to 180 million - or 93.8 cell phones per 100 people, a telecommunications regulator in the country has said.

A total of 6.8 million phone lines were activated in the first four months of 2010, said a statement from the Anatel telecommunications regulator.

The heavily industrialised southeast and the central-western regions, where capital Brasilia is located, were the only parts in the country with more than one cell phone per person.

Southern Brazil has 98.51 percent penetration, while the Amazon region and the northeast region have the lowest wireless penetration rates.

A vast majority - 82.36 percent - of the lines are pre-paid connections.

The Vivo company, owned by Spain's Telefonica and Portugal Telecom, was the market leader at the end of April 2010 with a 30.14 percent share, followed by Claro, part of the wireless giant America Movil, with 25.47 percent.

TIM, a unit of Telecom Italia, had a 23.72 percent market share, while Brazilian operator Oi was in fourth position with 20.30 percent.