According to a report by IHS iSuppli, the global 4G long term evolution (LTE) subscriber base will increase from 16.9 million in 2011 to reach 73.3 million by the end of 2012.
The report estimates triple-digit growth of 181 per cent at 205.7 million 4G LTE subscribers by the end of 2013. By 2016, 4G LTE subscriber base is expected to reach about 1.2 billion.
As per the report, the growth in the subscriber base will be supported by rapid 4G LTE network deployments and the convergence of electronic devices, including smartphones, media tablets and mobile personal computers.
The report suggests that such convergence allows manufacturers to create a market strategy in which applications can be leveraged across multiple devices through a common user interface.
According to IHS iSuppli subscribers of the 3G technology will continue to outnumber 4G LTE users, but the pace of growth for 3G will be significantly slower and not exceed 35 per cent at any point from 2012 onward. The report says that the companies are relying on a line of approach emphasising convergence. For instance, Microsoft has adopted a pursuit of a common operating system (OS) kernel on its computers, Windows phones and the soon-to-be-launched Surface tablet.
Also, the universal OS and user-interface platform is a critical foundation to foster ecosystem development and will lead to wider market adoption of the mobile platform.
