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IHS says LTE to account for 10% of mobile broadband lines by 2015
Analysts have predicted "stratospheric growth" for LTE technology over the next four years.
A new forecast from the analysis and information provider claimed 4G mobile broadband services will account for ten per cent of all global mobile subscriptions by 2015.
By the end of this year, the customer base of LTE is expected to reach 11.6 million - up by more than 4,000 per cent on the figure for 2010 - and further "explosive growth" will be seen in the following years.
An increase in subscriptions of 442 per cent will be seen next year, taking customer numbers to 62.8 million, IHS stated. In the three years after 2012, this rapid rise in connections is set to slow somewhat, but will remain "robust".
In 2013, 2014 and 2015, the analyst believes 4G mobile broadband growth will stand at 214 per cent, 105 per cent and 84 per cent respectively, meaning that just five years after its initial launch, LTE will have gained more than 744 million users.
However, older wireless technologies - namely 2G and 3G - will still dominate the market in 2015, the organisation added.
Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst for wireless communications at IHS, said: "From fast music downloads, to high-definition video streaming, to multiplayer gaming, 4G can deliver the required bandwidth required for next-generation mobile services.
"With its widespread industry support, LTE is emerging as the standard of choice to provide these and other compelling content offerings."
Although 4G mobile broadband is not currently commercially available in the UK, O2 has this week launched a trial of the technology in London that is set to run for nine months.
By the end of the month, more than 25 4G sites will have gone live across the capital, meaning faster speeds will be rolled out to an area of 40km sq.