News
Number of 4G networks will reach 550-plus by the end of 2016, according to GSA predictions.
The 500th LTE network in the world was commercially launched in May and the number is growing quickly.
There are now 503 commercial LTE networks in 167 countries, according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), which predicts the total will rise to at least 550 by the end of the year.
In addition, 25% of 4G operators have launched LTE-Advanced, the company said.
And the technology evolution does not stop there.
"Several LTE operators are now introducing LTE-Advanced Pro technologies, sometimes referred to as 4.5G, which is established as a major industry trend in 2016," noted Alan Hadden, VP of research at the GSA.
The number of LTE and LTE-Advanced subscriptions reached 1.07 billion worldwide by the end of last year, according to a the GSA, a figure that tallies with new numbers published by Strategy Analytics this week; the analyst firm reported that user-linked 4G subscriptions – which includes smartphones and other devices, but not machine-to-machine connections – totalled 1.1 billion at the start of 2016.
LTE accounts for one in seven mobile subscriptions worldwide, the GSA said.
