The Global Mobile Suppliers' Association (GSA) has released its latest long-term evolution (LTE) report, confirming a new milestone for the next-generation technology - the 300th network launch.
The GSA releases monthly reports on the state of LTE across the globe, and has shown there is rapid uptake of the technology, with 288 networks having commercially launched in 104 countries and an estimated 240 million LTE subscribers worldwide as at the end of the first quarter of 2014.
SA's key operators are investing heavily in the new technology. Vodacom said last month its entire network would be LTE-ready by the end of August, while its main rival MTN currently has an LTE network that covers more than three million people, with coverage growing. Telkom has close to 1 000 integrated LTE sites, and Neotel, with 50 LTE sites, has plans to expand its network "significantly".
Here are some fast facts about the current state of LTE, taken from the GSA's latest LTE report:
1) 507 LTE network commitments in 152 countries.
2) Includes 300 commercially launched LTE networks in 107 countries (excluding mobile virtual network operators).
3) 50 additional pre-commitment operator trials in 11 more countries.
4) Taken together, this means 557 operators are investing in LTE in 163 countries.
5) 36 commercial LTE time division duplex or TDD systems commercially launched in 24 countries (included in the above total of 300 commercial LTE networks), including 13 operators that have deployed both frequency division duplex (FDD) and TDD modes in their mobile operations.
6) 129 commercial LTE1800 systems (3GPP band 3) are launched in 67 countries either as a single band or as part of multi-band networks (included in the above total of 300 commercial LTE networks).
7) LTE1800 is deployed in 43% of commercial LTE networks.
8) GSA forecasts there will be at least 350 commercially launched LTE networks by end-2014.
9) 1 563 LTE user devices have been announced by 154 manufacturers across the world.
10) 742 devices were launched in the last year.
11) Smartphones are the largest device category. There are 636 LTE smartphones, representing 40.6% share of all LTE device types.
12) 57 LTE phones support voice over LTE.
13) Most LTE devices operate in FDD mode. However, 387 devices support LTE TDD operation.
14) 1 130 dual-mode LTE-HSPA devices are announced, including 570 LTE devices that support 42Mbps DC-HSPA+.
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