There are now 51 LTE network commitments in 24 countries, a 100pc increase in Long Term Evolution commitments over the past eight months, according to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).
This, it says, emphasises the strengthening and global support for LTE as the industry’s system of choice for next-generation mobile broadband services.
Most mobile network operators include a mobile broadband offer as part of their service portfolio. HSPA dominates the mobile broadband market, with 303 networks in commercial service in 142 countries.
A further 51 networks are in various stages of deployment or planning. More than 96pc of the world’s WCDMA systems have now deployed the HSPA upgrade.
A total of 66 operators have committed to HSPA Evolution, otherwise known as HSPA+, to ensure enhanced data throughput speeds, reduced latency, more capacity, lower delivery costs and an improved user experience.
HSPA operators throughout the world continue to report strong traffic and revenue growth with mobile broadband services.
LTE is needed to accommodate the anticipated continuing huge traffic growth for data, and to fully address the mass market. LTE will further boost network throughputs significantly, reduce latency, improve spectrum and deliver operational efficiencies and performance, for the next step in the user experience.
With the first commercial LTE network launches just around the corner, GSA anticipates that up to 19 LTE networks will be in commercial service by end 2010.
Dozens of LTE trials are on-going in all regions, and in the coming months these are likely to lead to a wave of further commitments to deploy LTE being announced.
The Evolution to LTE Information Paper confirms 51 LTE network commitments in the following markets: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, USA and Uzbekistan.
By John Kennedy
Photo: HSPA operators worldwide are reporting strong traffic and revenue growth with mobile broadband services.
