New research prepared by Mobidia Technology and Informa Telecoms & Media has revealed that 4G LTE availability is stimulating increased data usage, not just on the 4G networks but also by 4G devices using WiFi networks.

The study involved a sample of the 1.5 million international users who have downloaded Mobidia’s 'My Data Manager' smartphone application.

UK regulator Ofcom has published its plans for the launch of 4G mobile phone and mobile broadband service. It’s aiming to start the 4G spectrum auction by the end of this year.

The proposed sale will offer 80% more radio spectrum than the 2000 UK 3G auction and is equivalent to three-quarters of the mobile spectrum in use today.

Ericsson has published a new Traffic and Market Report that predicts 85% of the world’s population will have 3G coverage by 2017. In addition, 50% of the world’s population will be covered by 4G LTE networks.

Smartphone ownership will have reached around three billion in 2017, compared to 700 million in 2011, and there’ll be approaching nine billion mobile subscriptions worldwide. Ericsson has calculated there are currently 6.2 billion mobile phones worldwide.

Telefónica UK and Vodafone UK are planning to pool the basic parts of their network infrastructure, creating a single ‘national grid’ that runs independent spectrum for Vodafone and O2.

The companies - which already have a network partnership known as Cornerstone - say it’ll improve 2G and 3G coverage as well as providing faster roll-out for 4G mobile services. They anticipate delivering a nationwide 4G service up to two years before Ofcom’s anticipated regulatory requirement of 98% population coverage by 2017.

Everything Everywhere is keeping up its 4G campaigning by releasing independent research that shows 93% of UK business leaders want 4G rolled out as soon as possible.

The survey, carried out by Coleman Parkes for Everything Everywhere, also found that 86% of business leaders believed access to a 4G network would increase their business productivity.