Global LTE subscription passes 1 billion connections
The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has confirmed that LTE passed the 1 billion subscriptions milestone in the fourth quarter, adding almost 156 million connections to end 2015 with a total of 1.068 billion.
GSA confirms that LTE continues to grow faster than any other mobile communications system technology and is now responsible for 1 in 7 mobile connections worldwide.
Analyzing mobile subscriptions data provided to GSA by Ovum for Q4 2015, the GSA noted that a total of 552.2 million LTE subscriptions worldwide were gained during the past year, representing 107% annual growth. In fact, the number of LTE and LTE-Advanced subscriptions is expected to pass the 3G/ WCDMA-HSPA global total in 2020.
Alan Hadden, Vice President of Research, GSA said: “A daily average of almost 1.7 million LTE subscriptions were being signed up during Q4 2015 and the rate of LTE subscriptions growth is accelerating. LTE technology is now being used by 1 in 7 mobile subscriptions worldwide. ”
Asia Pacific reached over 580 million LTE subscriptions, growing its share of global LTE subscriptions to 54.3 percent. In 2015, China passed 386 million LTE subscriptions, adding almost 84 million in Q4 alone. North America remains the second largest LTE market in the world with almost 237 million. However, the share of North America LTE subscription further declined to 22.2 percent of the global LTE subscription. European share remained steady at 14.8 percent while the number of 4G LTE subscriptions in the Latin America and Caribbean region more than quadrupled to over 54 million.
A total of 480 operators have commercially launched LTE network in 157 countries, according to GSA data announced in January. GSA forecasts there will be 550 commercially launched LTE networks by the end of 2016, with more than 1 in 3 operators investing in LTE-Advanced system deployments. Some 116 operators, nearly 1 in 4 of all LTE operators, have commercially launched LTE-Advanced service in 57 countries.
The global mobile subscriptions reached 7.343 billion by the end of 2015 which GSA calculates is equivalent to 100% penetration of the global population.
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