The past two decades have witnessed a rapid growth in the number of in Long Term Evolution (LTE (News - Alert)) subscribers and incredible advancements in the technology. As businesses continue to turn to mobile communications and BYOD policies, the networks on which information is carried will make all the difference. Now, more and more carriers are setting their sights on LTE and VoLTE as the next big thing in mobile communication.
According to the LTE North America Conference, North America—the largest market for LTE subscriptions—will continue to see a rise in LTE subscribers throughout the coming years. The report says that LTE connections in North America grew to 115 million subscriptions, representing 30 percent of the 387 million total mobile subscriptions in the region at the end of the first quarter of 2014 alone. The conference started with a presentation from Chris Pearson (News - Alert) on the data demand challenge and the important solutions offered by LTE-Advanced and beyond.
It was also reported that LTE connections are expected to reach about 131 million with a 33 percent share of mobile subscriptions when reporting is finalized for the second quarter. With four nationwide service providers achieving widespread coverage, the North American market remains in the leadership position of LTE market share worldwide. Good news for North America, and incentive for carriers in other countries to step up their game.
Chris Pearson, president of 4G Americas (News - Alert), said in a statement, "With 13 LTE-Advanced commercial networks today and an expected 40 to 50 by the end of this year, there is great value to be derived from discussions at LTE North America…With 5G anticipated sometime in 2020 or later, the evolution of LTE beyond 3GPP Release 10 still has a tremendously innovative road ahead."
Edited by Alisen Downey