Report: 4G LTE Subscriptions Expected To Expand 115 Percent In 2013 Globally

4G LTE devices have been available now for a couple of years ever since it was officially launched in late 2009. Every wireless network in the U.S. currently offers 4G LTE with compatible devices to take full advantage of the boost in speed and according to iSuppli, the amount of 4G LTE subscribers is expected to double from last year.

In 2012, there were nearly 100 million 4G LTE subscribers. iSuppli predicts 4G LTE will balloon up to 198.1 million subscribers worldwide by the end of 2013, expanding 115 percent from 2012’s 92.3 million subscribers.

The amount of growth 4G LTE has experienced in just three years of being available has been remarkable as 2010 ended with just 612,000 users, then reaching 13.2 million in 2012 and jumping 599 percent in 2012 with it’s nearly 100 million subscribers.

“With LTE emerging as a true global technology standard, its ecosystem now faces both challenges and opportunities,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at IHS, which is iSuppli’s parent company, in a statement released today. “Rapid adoption will drive design innovations, particularly in smartphones, but issues like spectrum fragmentation will also remain an overhang for the LTE industry that requires attention. Overall, however, the LTE space will be less worried about rifts or divisions in technology, and more concerned with laying the foundation for sustained growth across the entire LTE landscape.”

Daniel Perez
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: 4g lte