ABI Research has forecast there’ll be 16 million subscribers using LTE mobile devices by the end of 2011. Commercial LTE services are currently available in twelve countries, covering both mature and emerging markets.
Phil Solis, research director at ABI Research, said “The shift to 4G differs from the shift to 3G because of smartphones’ capabilities. In the US, people are actively looking for 4G as a handset feature, spurred by heavy marketing of 4G smartphones. Sprint’s success with WiMAX smartphones is an indicator of the scale Verizon Wireless and AT&T can achieve with LTE smartphones this year.”
Around 148 million LTE mobile handsets are expected to ship in 2014, along with a further 57 million other LTE mobile devices.