The hype surrounding 5G may be justified, but it is still not here, and developments in 4G and LTE (News - Alert) Advanced technology are delivering speeds that will see this network around for some time to come. The new report from Transparency Market Research (TMR) has revealed as much with a forecast that is predicting a compound annual growth rate of 78.6 percent from 2013 to 2019, which is being driven by demand for high-speed wireless data and next-generation communications services made possible by the evolution of LTE.
The demand for high-speed wireless data from consumers and organizations is the result of more powerful mobile computing devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as traditional personal computers and smart connected devices in the home and the workplace. Whether it is binge watching a popular show or accessing hosted cloud services and applications, LTE networks are being used more than ever and require higher speeds.
In addition to accessing rich media and data, next generation communications services are also placing more demand on LTE networks. According to TMR, data usage, rapid deployments of smart devices and the need for high quality services on the move are primarily responsible for the growth in LTE for the forecast period.
The firm said, “There is need for resolution of substantial capacity constraints while conquering profitability issues in the current pricing composition. With huge growth in mobile data demand (including smartphone and mobile broadband), there is substantial need for spectrally efficient technology and shifting business models for monetizing mobile data across the customer base.”
Next generation communication services, which will include virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and others, are going to push the limits of LTE and may even require the more advanced 5G network to make it all possible. However, these services are being tested and carried out successfully with the more advanced versions of LTE.
According to TMR, some of the services and applications that will demand high-speed wireless data LTE capabilities include browsing, games, M2M and connected devices, m-commerce, mobile cloud services, music, P2P messaging, public safety LTE, TV/video-on-demand and Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
The global marketplace is dominated by North America because of the maturity of the market, but the Asia Pacific region is making rapid gains based on the population of the region and the growing demand for high-speed wireless data. Additionally, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Indian operators have been making considerable investments in the infrastructure to deliver these services.
Edited by Alicia Young