As per a study conducted by global telecom body GSM Association (GSMA) with India and China rolling out long term evolution (LTE) networks, Asia is expected to account for 47 per cent of the global LTE connections by 2017.
Globally, the number of LTE connections is expected to stand at 176 million at the end of 2013 and reach over one billion by 2017. Currently, about 20 per cent of the global population is within the LTE network coverage. As operators continue to expand LTE coverage over the next few years, it is forecast that LTE networks will cover 50 per cent of the world?s population by 2017.
For example, in the United States, LTE networks already cover more than 90 per cent of the population in comparison to 47 per cent population coverage in Europe and 10 per cent in Asia. The key growth drivers for the growth in the LTE coverage are speedy allocation of spectrum to operators for launching LTE services, availability of affordable LTE devices and lower data tariffs for high speed broadband connectivity.
The findings of the study indicate that LTE services are contributing to a significant increase in average revenue per user (ARPU) for operators in both developed and developing countries. In developing economies, operators have reported that LTE users generate ARPU seven to 20 times greater than non-LTE users.
