LTE: Global Outlook and Forecasts 2010-2014

LTE Gains Credibility Among Top-tier Carriers Although it was comparatively slow to gain endorsement from the world’s principal telecommunications network operators, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communications technology standard has now become the most widespread platform of choice for operators looking to migrate to the next generation of mobile broadband services. The weight of the backing and investment thrown behind LTE worldwide is such that, even with only a handful of commercial service launches to its name, LTE already has greater commercial credibility than its principal rival, WiMAX.

The need for advanced mobile networks capable of offering very high data transfer rates at very high quality, even when on the move, has long been recognised by the mobile industry and, while 3G has come to be seen as a useful stepping-stone in establishing the foundations of a working mobile broadband ecosystem, industry players have always considered the fourth generation (4G) of wireless technology as representing the point where ubiquitous wireless connectivity would really take off.

With downlink rates of up to 100Mbps, LTE is widely expected to significantly enhance the mobile user’s complete connectivity experience, fulfilling the potential of high-speed multifaceted multimedia applications and services whose initial incarnations already dictate our connected lifestyles. In time, the technologies that will evolve out of standards such as LTE and WiMAX will be more universal in scope, allowing users to access personalised content, applications and services, such as interactive television and games, workstations and content stored off-net or off-device via cloud-based networks.

This report summarises activity to date in the global LTE market, assesses the key drivers behind the move towards LTE rather than WiMAX, identifies the key operators moving to adopt LTE, offers up case studies of key vendors’ LTE offerings and forecasts LTE subscriber uptake rates in eight key regions of the world over a five-year period.

As a supplementary section, BMI has included its Mobile Market Data Analysis on key markets from each region that are making the most progress with regards to LTE rollout. This will provide the context needed to understand why operators are so keen to push ahead with LTE, even in the absence of its endorsement as a fully-fledged 4G standard by the leading standards recognition body, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).