LTE to grow 300 million by 2015: GSMA

The GSMA's Wireless Intelligence service has forecasted that the number of LTE connections will grow from 7 million in 2011 to close to 300 million by 2015. Of which Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East will represent 50 percent of global LTE connections by 2015.

The GSMA's Wireless Intelligence service has predicted that that there will be more than 200 live LTE networks in over 70 countries by 2015, up from 40 networks in 24 countries today.

The report notes that the IMT-extension band (2,500/2,600 MHz) is the most globally harmonized band used in LTE deployments to date, accounting for over half of live networks in 2011. More than two-thirds of global LTE connections today relate to deployments at 700 MHz due to the large-scale roll outs underway in the United States.

Asia Pacific has the most varied spectral combination of all the global regions despite significant support for LTE at 2,100 MHz (Japan), 2,500 MHz (China) and 1800 MHz (Southeast Asia).

The new report- Global LTE Network Forecasts and Assumptions - One Year On- predicts that there will be 38 different spectrum frequency combinations used in LTE deployments by 2015. The lack of spectrum harmonization represents a key challenge for the emerging LTE ecosystem, potentially preventing vendors from delivering globally compatible LTE products such as devices and chipsets, or requiring them to increase prices.

''Spectrum fragmentation has the potential to hinder global LTE roaming if device manufacturers are required to include support for many disparate frequencies in their devices,'' said Wireless Intelligence senior analyst and report author Joss Gillet.

Spectrum fragmentation is set to increase over the next four years as more LTE networks are deployed in the digital dividend (700/800 MHz) and re-farmed frequency bands.

Among the 38 frequency combinations predicted by 2015, the 700/800 MHz band is expected to be used in around a quarter of LTE network deployments, compared to approximately one-third for the IMT-extension band and one third using re-farmed spectrum.

GSMA research indicates that one-third of LTE operators around the globe will be unable to secure any additional spectrum in the 700, 800, 2500 or 2,600 MHz bands before 2016 at the earliest – which will further exacerbate data capacity issues and limit LTE coverage expansion plans.