BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwired - Dec 9, 2013) - 4G Americas reports that LTE connections in North America have grown to 78.9 million subscriptions, representing 21 percent of the 378 million total mobile subscriptions in the region at the end of the third quarter of 2013, according to Informa Telecoms & Media research. The North American market remains in the leadership position of LTE market share worldwide with 50 percent of the world's 157.7 million LTE connections at the end of September 2013. In the third quarter, LTE represented 2.4 percent of all cellular connections worldwide. It is expected that LTE will be the dominant technology in North America in 2014 based on projections by Informa.
"Meteoric growth of LTE in North America continues to set the global pace and leadership of mobile broadband innovation," stated Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. "There were more than 50 million new LTE connections in one year, showcasing the significant customer response to LTE's technology advancements and increased data speeds."
LTE and HSPA mobile broadband continue to have phenomenal growth within the Americas. In Latin America, the LTE and HSPA mobile broadband market share has risen to 24 percent with 168 million connections of the total 700 million mobile connections, with 509 million GSM subscriptions beginning to decline and shift to mobile broadband technology. Latin America gained 59.1 million new HSPA and HSPA+ connections year-over-year, adding 20.2 million in the third quarter alone.
Bob Calaff, Director of Latin America and the Caribbean at 4G Americas stated, "We continue to see tremendous growth in LTE in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an increase of close to half a million new LTE subscribers added in the third quarter." He continued, "With over 30 commercial LTE networks currently serving as the foundation, 4G Americas in fact expects hockey-stick growth in these subscriber figures starting in 2014."
LTE and HSPA in Latin America
- 31 commercial LTE networks in 14 countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela and the U.S. Virgin Islands
- 818,000 LTE connections as of September 2013
- Forecast nearly 1 million connections at the end of 2013
- 101 commercial HSPA and HSPA+ networks
- 167 million HSPA connections; 59.1 million added year-over-year; 20.2 million added 3Q13
LTE and HSPA in North America
In North America, not only is LTE growing substantially, but HSPA and HSPA+ gained 1.4 million new connections for the quarter and 7.8 million connections year-over-year with a market share of 34 percent and bringing the combined market share for LTE and HSPA mobile broadband in the region to 55 percent.
- 38 commercial LTE networks deployed in U.S. and Canada
- 24.9 million LTE connections at the end of September 2012; 78.9 million LTE connections as of September 2013 for net gain of 54 million new LTE customers and 21 percent regional market share
- 128.8 million HSPA connections
- 207.7 million HSPA and LTE mobile broadband connections or 55 percent of market share
LTE Global
"Looking at the worldwide picture, as of September, North America still accounts for half of all worldwide LTE subscriptions," stated Kristin Paulin, Senior Researcher at Informa Telecoms & Media. "But North America's LTE dominance is declining as LTE is also growing strongly in other regions, especially Asia, where LTE subscriptions were 66 million at the end of the third quarter 2013, compared to 79 million in North America."
- 233 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; 157.7 million as of September 2013, more than a doubling of connections in nine months
- LTE connections are forecast to reach 1 billion by early 2018
4G Americas maintains a current list of HSPA, HSPA+ and LTE Global Deployments on its website. For more information and to view a variety of statistical charts on the 3GPP family of technologies, visit www.4gamericas.org. LTE subscriber and forecast data is from Informa Telecoms & Media World Cellular Information Service (WCIS+).
About 4G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Mobile Broadband Technology
4G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas. 4G Americas contributes to the successful commercial rollout of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies across the Americas and their place as the No. 1 technology family in the region. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 4G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. More information is available at www.4gamericas.org.
4G Americas' Board of Governors members include: Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, AT&T, BlackBerry, Cable & Wireless, CommScope, Entel, Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Mavenir, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Openwave Mobility, Qualcomm, Rogers, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.