Global LTE Subscribers to Reach Approximately 11.6 Million in 2015

Long term evolution (LTE) will account for 10 percent of global mobile subscribers by 2015, according to IHS iSuppli Smartphones & Converged Devices Market Tracker report.

Global subscribers to 4G LTE at the end of 2011 will be around 11.6 million from 300,000 in 2010. IHS is anticipating explosive growth in 2012 when the technology increases its subscriber rolls by 442 percent to hit 62.8 million.

IHS anticipates that the growth in the three years after 2012 will slow down but will remain robust, at 214 percent in 2013, 105 percent in 2014 and 84 percent in 2015.

By 2015, LTE will command a total of 744.2 million users, equivalent to 10 percent of the approximately 7.3 billion total mobile handset subscribers worldwide.

“From fast music downloads, to high-definition video streaming, to multiplayer gaming, 4G can deliver the required bandwidth required for next-generation mobile services,” said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst for wireless communications at IHS, in a statement. “With its widespread industry support, LTE is emerging as the standard of choice to provide these and other compelling content offerings.”

4G boasts speeds of up to 100 megabits per second and latencies in the tens of milliseconds, such next-generation technologies can be up to 10 times faster on average than 3G.

The 4G technology is suitable for data intensive, real-time applications like video streaming and multiplayer gaming.

Operators are looking for new capabilities enabled by the higher speeds and lower latencies of the new 4G technology. Attention now centers on product features that enhance the overall user experience, according to IHS.

Recently, a MobilityTechzone article said that the public safety LTE market is likely to reach revenues of $240 million by the end of Q4 2011, driven by the increasing number of public safety LTE infrastructure deployments and integration services.

Between 2011 and 2015, the public safety LTE market is expected to experience a CAGR of over 298 percent to reach $720 million, driven by the increasing demand for data intensive public safety applications such as end-to-end mobile video, with Motorola Solutions, Alcatel-Lucent and Raytheon leading the market share estimates.