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4G LTE Connections will Reach 1 Billion by 2018

4G Americas reports that HSPA and LTE mobile broadband has grown to 192.5 million subscriptions in North America, representing 52 percent of the more than 373 million total mobile subscriptions in the region at the end of the second quarter of 2013, according to the latest market study by Informa Telecoms & Media.

The North American market remains in the leadership position of LTE market share worldwide with 51 percent of the world’s 126 million connections at the end of June 2013.

In Latin America, the HSPA and LTE mobile broadband market share has risen to 21 percent with 147 million connections of the total 693.7 million mobile connections, with the latter mostly GSM technology.

North America’s LTE penetration rate is significantly higher than the rest of the world -- with 18.3 percent LTE penetration compared to the next leading world regional market of Asia-Pacific with a penetration rate of 1.4 percent.

All other world regions, including Western Europe at 0.7 percent, have an LTE market penetration rate below 1 percent.

"The U.S and Canada continue to lead the world in LTE connections with 51 percent market share," stated Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. "LTE has grown more than 300 percent in the 12 months ending in June in North America -- it’s a tremendous mobile broadband growth story and 4G Americas looks forward to positive steps of government policy makers in spectrum allocation to allow this trend to continue."

LTE subscriptions grew almost 350 percent year-over-year to the end of June 2013 and Informa forecasts that in 2018, LTE subscriptions will top one billion. The vast majority of subscriptions today are in the U.S., Korea and Japan; however, the growth momentum is in all regions of the world.

Highlights from the latest global market study include:
  • 205 commercial LTE networks today; 250 commercial LTE networks expected by the end of 2013.
  • Over 440 total commitments to LTE deployment by wireless operators to date.
  • 75 million LTE connections at the end of 2012; 118 million as of May 2013, representing an increase of over 50 percent in five months and 126 million as of June 2013.
  •  Over a doubling of connections forecast in 2013 to 166 million LTE connections..
  • LTE connections are forecast to reach 1 billion by early 2018

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