GSA: 115 mobile operators are now deploying 5G Standalone

GSA reports that 115 mobile operators are now investing in 5G Standalone technology, representing 21.4% of the 535 operators known to be investing in 5G licences, trials or deployments of any type. 

In addition to the investment in 5G SA for public mobile networks, GSA is also tracking organizations testing, piloting or deploying 5G SA technologies for private networks. As of the last update in May 2023, GSA had collated information about 1,148 organisations known to be deploying or granted a licence for LTE or 5G private mobile networks. Of those, 505 are known to be using 5G networks for private mobile networks, with 66 (just over 13% of them) known to be working with 5G SA already. They include manufacturers, academic organisations, commercial research institutes, construction, communications and IT services, rail and aviation organisations. The private mobile networks database is available to GSA Members and Associates.

“Operators are increasingly testing and deploying 5G standalone networks,” said Joe Barrett, President, Global mobile Suppliers Association. “With a totally new, cloud-based, virtualised, microservices-based core infrastructure, 5G SA brings benefits including lower latency, support for massive numbers of devices, and programmable systems enabling faster and more-agile creation of services and network slices. As the momentum behind 5G SA networks and devices continues, we can expect to see more operators deploying the new services they enable such as voice over New Radio.”

https://gsacom.com/paper/5g-standalone-july-2023-summary/

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Marvell's Matt Murphy appoint chair of Global Semiconductor Alliance

 The Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) Board of Directors appointed Matt Murphy as its new chair.

Matt Murphy is President and Chief Executive Officer of Marvell Technology. He has led the company since joining in July 2016 and also serves as a member of its Board of Directors. Prior to joining Marvell, Matt worked for Maxim Integrated, where he advanced through a series of business leadership roles over two decades. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Business Units and Sales & Marketing, overseeing all product development and go-to-market activities.

“I am honored to become Chair of GSA’s Board of Directors and look forward to partnering with my fellow Board members and other partners to further advance the global semiconductor ecosystem,” said Matt Murphy. “Semiconductors have proven to be an indispensable part of the global economy and there has never been a more important time for the entire ecosystem to come together and collaborate on a global level. The semiconductor industry continues to be a catalyst for technological progress and the world is counting on this group to fuel innovation like never before.”

https://www.gsaglobal.org/

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GSA: 5G device designs flood the market

The number 5G devices on the market has surpassed 900 for the first time and now stands at 938 announced 5G devices – an increase of 24.1% over the last quarter, according the GSA. The number of 5G devices understood to be commercially available has similarly grown, by 29.9% over the same period, now exceeds 600 for the first time, reaching 608 devices, which represents 64.8% of the total number of announced 5G devices. Of these commercial 5G devices, over 400 are phones.

The new “5G Device Ecosystem – August 2021” report reveals that 143 vendors have now announced available or forthcoming 5G devices. Across 22 different form factors, devices recorded by GSA include 450 5G phones, at least 401 of which are now commercially available (up 20 in a month). GSA also recorded 171 FWA CPE devices (indoor and outdoor), of which 67 are now commercially available.

By end-July 2021, GSA had identified:

• 22 announced form factors
• 143 vendors who had announced available or forthcoming 5G devices
• 938 announced devices (including regional variants, but excluding operator-branded devices that are essentially rebadged versions of other phones), including 608 that are understood to be commercially available:
• 450 phones (up 19 from June), at least 401 of which are now commercially available (up 20 in a month)
• 171 FWA CPE devices (indoor and outdoor), of which 67 are now commercially available
• 134 modules
• 60 industrial/enterprise routers/gateways/modems
• 43 battery operated hotspots
• 17 tablets
• 15 laptops (notebooks)
• 10 in-vehicle routers/modems/hotspots
• 38 other devices (including drones, head-mounted displays, robots, TVs, USB terminals/‌dongles/‌modems, cameras, femtocells/‌small cells, repeaters, vehicle OBUs, a snap-on dongle/‌‌adapter, a switch, a vending machine and an encoder)
• 528 announced devices with declared support for 5G standalone in sub-6 GHz bands, 365 of which are commercially available

https://gsacom.com/

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GSA report tracks 311 private mobile network deployments

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) today identified 40 countries/territories with private network deployments based on LTE or 5G or LTE or 5G-suitable private network spectrum licence. Thhis includes 311 private mobile network deployments being deployed all around the world.

“The private mobile networks market is home to a wide range of service providers, including equipment/technology vendors, mobile network operators, systems integrators and the private network end-users, some of whom also take responsibility for installing or operating their own infrastructure,” commented Joe Barrett, President of the Global mobile Suppliers Association. “GSA has counted 38 equipment vendors that have been involved in the supply of equipment for private mobile networks based on LTE or 5G. In addition, we have identified 63 public network operators which between them are known to be involved with 106 projects. This broad ecosystem of vendors, operators and vertical markets is one that the GSA is continuing to track and report on for its Members and the wider industry.”

GSA data suggests that manufacturing is an early adopter of local area private mobile networks with 67 identified companies holding suitable licences or involved in known pilots or deployments of LANs of probable LANs (up from 51 at the start of 2021). Mining follows second, with ports also actively trialling/deploying local area private mobile networks.  Within the manufacturing sector, the automotive subsector is an early leader in terms of private network investment and adoption. Automotive companies account for over a quarter (26.9%) of the 67 identified manufacturing companies holding suitable licences or involved in known pilots or deployments.

The latest GSA report Private mobile networks – market status update (May 2021) includes data on the countries/territories with identified private network deployments (pilot and commercial), 

https://gsacom.com/paper/private-mobile-networks-executive-summary-may-2021/

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GSA: Over 5.5 billion LTE subscriptions in service

 As the end of Q2 2020 there were 5.55 billion LTE subscriptions worldwide, according to the latest data from Omdia and the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), accounting for 60.4% of all global mobile subscriptions.

Nearly 800 million LTE subscriptions were added in the preceding 12 months, representing a 16.7% YoY growth.

Some additional highlights from GSA:

• 5G subscriptions doubled in the second quarter of 2020 to reach at least 137.7 million globally (representing 1.5% of the entire global mobile market).
• There will be nearly 10.30 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2025.
• LTE is expected to reach its peak point in terms of technology market share at the end of 2021 (at 63.3%), and to reach its peak point in terms of subscriber numbers at the end of 2022 (at 6.07 billion subscribers).
• From 2023 the LTE market is forecast to start to decline slowly, as customers migrate to 5G.
• Between end 2020 and end 2025, the share of the market represented by GSM subscriptions will fall from 15.1% to 5.6%, and the share represented by W-CDMA will decline from 19.4% to 11.3%.
• By the end of 2025, 5G will account for nearly 30% of the global market (at 3.03 billion subscriptions), although LTE will still be dominant at 53.5% of all global mobile subscriptions.

https://gsacom.com/

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GSA: 101 commercial 5G networks now operating in 44 countries

A total of 101 mobile operators in 44 countries/territories have now launched one of more fully commercial 3GPP-compliant 5G services, according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).

Of these commercial networks, GSA data records that there are now 94 operators live with 3GPP-compliant 5G mobile services (up from 63 at the end of March 2020), while 37 have launched 3GPP-compliant 5G FWA or home broadband services (up from 34). 

As of September 2020, the GSA GAMBoD database included detailed data and analysis on a total of 397 operators in 129 countries that have announced investment in 5G, including trials, acquisition of licences, planning, network deployment and launches. 

“5G remains on track to become the fastest adopted mobile technology ever,” said Joe Barrett, President, Global mobile Suppliers Association. “There are now over 400 announced 5G devices; 5G subscriptions are doubling quarter on quarter; there are 20 commercially available 5G mobile processors and platforms and eight discrete 5G modems from five different semi-conductor companies. With over 100 commercial 5G networks now launched, and many more still being invested in by operators worldwide, we are seeing the mobile industry working together to drive 5G uptake at an unprecedented rate.”

https://gsacom.com/paper/5g-market-status-september-2020-snapshot/?utm=reports5g

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GSA tracks growth of 5G in mmWave spectrum.

Ninety-seven operators in 17 countries/territories hold public licences (many of them regional) enabling operation of 5G networks using mmWave spectrum, according to a new report from GSA.

Some highlights:

• twenty-two operators are known to be already deploying 5G networks using mmWave spectrum.
• thirteen countries/territories have announced formal (date-specified) plans for assigning frequencies above 24 GHz between now and end-2021.
• eighty-four announced 5G devices explicitly support one or more of the 5G spectrum bands above 24 GHz (though note that details of spectrum support are patchy for pre-commercial devices), up from 59 at the end of November 2019. Twenty-seven of those devices are understood to be commercially available.
• The 24.25–29.5 GHz range covering the overlapping bands n257 (26.5–29.5 GHz), n258 (24.25–27.5 GHz) and n261 (27.5–28.35 GHz) has been the most-licensed/deployed 5G mmWave spectrum range to date.
• One hundred and twenty-three operators in 42 countries/territories are investing in 5G (in the form of trials, licences, deployments or operational networks) across the 24.25-29.5 GHz spectrum range.
• Seventy-nine operators are known to have been licensed to deploy 5G in this range.
• Twenty-one operators are understood to be actively deploying 5G networks using this spectrum.
• Band n260, covering 37–40 GHz, is also used, with 33 companies in six countries/territories investing in networks using this spectrum. Of those, 32 hold licences (with the majority of those 32 based in the USA and its territories). Three operators in the USA have launched 5G using band n260.
• Awards and assignments for mmWave spectrum (2015 onwards)

https://gsacom.com/

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GSA predicts 5G to reach 19.3% of global market by end of 2024

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) is predicting that 5G will account for 19.3% of the worldwide market by the end of 2024, with LTE still dominant at 59.4% of all global mobile subscriptions. 5G subscriptions more than quadrupled in the last quarter to reach at least 17.73 million globally by the end of 2019.

Some highlights:

• By the end of 2019 there were 5.27 billion LTE subscriptions worldwide, with over one billion LTE subscriptions (1.032 bn) added in the preceding 12 months representing a 24.4% year-on-year growth. 
• LTE subscriptions now account for 57.7% of all global mobile subscriptions. 
• LTE is expected to account for 64.8% global market share by the end of 2022, at which point it will reach its peak point in terms of subscriber numbers and technology market share.

The subscriber data and forecasts were collated by Omdia, the new global technology research firm established in 2019 with the combination of the Informa Tech’s research brands (Ovum, Heavy Reading, and Tractica) and the acquired IHS Markit technology research portfolio.

The LTE and 5G Market Growth and Forecasts summary data, including a regional breakdown of LTE subscribers, is available for free download for registered users from https://gsacom.com/paper/lte-and-5g-subscriber-growth-and-forecast-april-2020

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GSA: 50th commercial 5G network has now launched.

As of the end of October, a total of 50 5G networks have begun commercial services, according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).

The milestones was reached following the recent activation of services in China where China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom all went live and have already registered more than 9million 5G subscribers.

As of the end of October 2019, GSA has identified 328 operators in 109 countries that have announced that they are investing in 5G. In addition, a total of 69 operators have announced that they had deployed 3GPP compliant 5G technology in their networks, among which:

• 39 operators having launched 3GPP-compliant 5G mobile services (36 full launches, 3 limited availability launches)
• 29 operators had launched 3GPP-compliant 5G FWA or home broadband services (19 full launches, 10 limited availability launches)

 Joe Barrett, the President of the GSA commented ‘I think that we have all been surprised by how quickly 5G has taken off, with deployments and commitments from across the globe gathering pace. This latest milestone, combined with commercial launches in the world’s largest mobile market, is set to lead to an explosion in 5G users and also have a knock-on impact on driving both use cases and innovation.”

https://gsacom.com/

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GSA: A country-by-country summary of 5G spectrum

As of mid-2017, regulators in 42 countries have advanced plans for 5G spectrum by conducting auctions, designating certain bands, holding consultations, or announced plans to auction frequencies or have already allocated spectrum for 5G use, according to GSA.

This in-depth report provides a country-by-country overview of 5G spectrum.

Some highlights:

• In Europe, Ireland, Latvia, Spain and UK have already completed auctions of 5G spectrum.
• Germany, Greece, Norway having recently completed auctions of spectrum that could potentially be used for 5G. 
• Ten countries are known to have confirmed 5G spectrum auctions between 2018 and 2020 including Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland.
• Three countries planning auctions of potentially suitable bands -- Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland.   In AsiaPac, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea have 5G auctions/allocations confirmed. 
• In June 2018 Korea completed a 5G auction for spectrum in the 3.42–3.7 GHz and 26.5–28.9 GHz frequency bands. 
• Taiwan, New Zealand and Singapore have initiated consultations to consider both mid-band and mmWave bands.

https://gsacom.com/

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GSA: Global LTE Subscribers Top 1.29 Billion

The number of LTE subscribers worldwide exceeded 1.29 billion as of the end of Q1 2016, according to GSA, the Global mobile Suppliers Association, and based on data from Ovum.

Alan Hadden, Vice President, GSA said: “LTE subscriptions were signed up during Q1 2016 at an average of 2 million per day and the rate is accelerating. LTE is now connecting over 1 in 6 mobile subscribers worldwide (17.4%).”

Some highlights:

• LTE gained 182 million connections in Q1 2016, almost 4 times faster than 3G/HSPA systems. 
• 3G/HSPA subscriptions grew by 48 million while GSM subscriptions fell by 120 million in the same quarter. 
• The number of LTE and LTE-Advanced subscriptions is expected to pass the 3G/WCDMA-HSPA global total in 2020, and possibly sooner. 
• Over 645 million LTE subscriptions worldwide were gained during the past year, representing 100% annual growth.
• The Asia region, with over 734 million LTE subscriptions, further grew its share of global LTE subscriptions quarter on quarter to reach 56.9%. 
• By March 2016 China had passed 511 million LTE subscriptions, adding 96.3 million in the quarter. North America remains the second largest LTE market with 253 million, though its share of the world market further declined 2.6% in the quarter to 19.6% of the global total. The European share of the global total is 14%.
• 503 operators have commercially launched LTE systems in 167 countries, according to GSA data announced at the end of May 2016. 
• Around 25% of LTE operators have commercially launched LTE-Advanced service including several LTE operators who are now introducing LTE-Advanced Pro technologies, sometimes referred to as 4.5G, which is established as a major industry trend in 2016. LTE-Advanced Pro systems can support peak downlink speeds up to 1 Gbps and beyond.

http://www.gsacom.com

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VoLTE-HD Operational in 55 Mobile Networks Worldwide

LTE networks are now widely deployed worldwide with 492 operators now offering commercial service in 162 countries, according to a newly published report from the GSA. LTE-Advanced is currently in commercial operation to some extent with 127 operators and a further 175 are currently testing the technology.

Some highlights from the GSA report:

• 422 operators deployed LTE using the FDD mode only, 51 operators deployed LTE using the TDD mode only, 21 operators deployed using both LTE FDD and TDD modes
• 126 operators in 60 countries are investing in VoLTE deployments, studies or trials. 55 operators have commercially launched VoLTE-HD voice service in 34 countries
• 1800 MHz band 3 spectrum is in commercial service in 104 countries on 226 LTE networks (LTE1800) representing over 45% of all LTE networks globally
• 5,104 LTE user devices announced by 417 suppliers. This is 2,185 devices more than GSA reported in April 2015, representing 75% Y-o-Y growth. The number of manufacturers grew 40% in the same period
• 1800 MHz (3GPP Band 3) is the best supported spectrum for LTE deployments, having the largest LTE devices ecosystem (LTE1800). Over 55% of LTE devices can operate in band 3 spectrum

http://www.gsacom.com

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Global LTE Subscriptions Pass 750 Million

The number of LTE endpoints worldwide passed 755 million as of 30-June-2015, according to figures from Ovum cited by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).

Some other mid-year 2015 milestones noted by GSA:

• 441 million LTE subscriptions were added in the past year, equivalent to 140% annual growth. 
• For the first time LTE exceeded ten percent share (10.44%) of the worldwide subs total for all mobile technologies. GSA forecasts over 1 billion LTE subscriptions worldwide by the end of 2015.
• LTE subscriptions increased by 113.5 million in Q2 2015, which is over 52% higher than for 3G/WCDMA-HSPA which gained 74.4 million. GSM subscriptions fell by over 98 million in the quarter.
• APAC increased its share of global LTE subscriptions to 51.2%. North America has almost 200 million LTE subscriptions (198 million) and remains the second largest LTE market, though its share reduced to 26.2% of the global total compared with 42.4% a year earlier. 
• European share remained at around 16% and the total number of LTE subscriptions across Western Europe markets has just passed 100 million.
• Strong growth was seen in the Latin America and Caribbean region which now has over 22.5 million 4G/LTE subscriptions and over 17.2 million higher than a year ago, equivalent to 324% annual growth. A strong performance for LTE was also achieved in the Middle East where more than 1 million LTE subscriptions were added monthly. The region has 23.7 million LTE subscriptions and an annual growth of 194%. Russia has almost 3x the number of LTE subscriptions compared to one year earlier.
• By June 2015, China had passed 225 million LTE subscriptions, 63.5 million in Q2 alone.
• 422 operators have commercially launched LTE systems in 143 countries, according to GSA data announced in July 2015. GSA forecasts there will be 460 commercially launched LTE networks by end 2015. 
• LTE-Advanced deployments have taken hold in all markets around the world. Now over 30% of operators are investing in LTE-Advanced system deployments, with the commercialisation of carrier aggregation the first feature to be exploited. 88 operators, i.e. over 20% of all LTE operators, have commercially launched LTE-Advanced service in 45 countries. 
• 15 LTE-Advanced networks support Category 4 devices (above 100 Mbps up to 150 Mbps peak downlink speed) while 73 networks support Category 6 devices (above 150 Mbps up to 300 Mbps). 
• The number of LTE and LTE-Advanced subscriptions is expected to pass the 3G/WCDMA-HSPA global total in 2020.

http://www.gsacom.com/

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LTE Passes 500 Million User Milestone

The 500 millionth LTE subscriber was activated sometime in January 2015.  GSA, the Global mobile Suppliers Association, confirms that LTE reached 497 million subs by December 2014, citing data from Ovum. A total of 290 million LTE subscriptions were gained in the year, equivalent to 140% annual growth.  This gives LTE a faster adoption cycle than 3G/WCDMA-HSPA by 21% during the last 6 months of 2014.

Alan Hadden, Vice President of Research, GSA said "LTE subscriptions grew by 115 million in Q4, over 36% higher than 3G/WCDMA-HSPA connections. GSM subscriptions fell by 78.5 million in the same period. We are confident that LTE growth will continue to lead all other mobile systems."

Some other highlights:

• The APAC region increased its share of connections to 47% by end December 2014 compared to 40% in June 2014.
• North America is the second largest LTE market with 33% of global LTE subscriptions, down from 42.3% in six months previously, while Europe increased its share in the same period from 14.3% to 16% by year end.
• LTE net subscription additions in Q4 2014 were 45% higher than in the previous quarter. 
• GSA forecasts there will be at least 450 commercially launched LTE networks globally by end 2015, up from 364 that had entered service by the end of last year, with deployment of LTE-Advanced technologies as a major industry trend in all regions. Further details will be provided in the next Evolution to LTE report to be published by GSA this month.

http://www.gsacom.com

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GSA: LTE-Advanced and VoLTE Investments Underway

A total of 360 operators have commercially launched LTE networks and service in 124 countries, according to GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association).

Alan Hadden, President of GSA, said: “LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation deployment was the major trend in 2014. 49 operators have commercially launched LTE-Advanced in 31 countries. Taking account of additional deployments in progress, trials and studies, GSA calculates almost 30% of LTE operators are currently investing in LTE-Advanced technology.”

Some highlights of the report:

• 312 operators deployed FDD mode only
• 31 operators deployed TDD mode only
• 17 operators deployed both FDD and TDD modes
• 80 operators in 42 countries i.e. over 22% of operators are investing in VoLTE deployments, studies or trials, with 14 operators having launched HD voice service using VoLTE in 7 countries. Many more launches are expected in 2015
• 107 operators in total, i.e. almost 30% of LTE operators have launched, are deploying or are trialling LTE-Advanced technologies. 49 operators have commercially launched LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation in 31 countries, and this figure could double in 2015
• 8 operators have commercially launched LTE using APT700 (700 MHz) band 28 spectrum. APT700 is a key coverage band for LTE with near-global market potential. 42 countries have allocated, committed to or recommend APT700 band 28 spectrum for LTE deployments, in markets covering 3.2 billion people. 55 APT700 (band 28) user devices comprising smartphones, tablets, CPEs and MiFi hotspots have been announced

http://www.gsacom.com

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GSA: Mobile Broadband Subscriptions Top 2 Billion

Global mobile broadband subscriptions have passed the 2 billion milestone, according to newly published statistics from GSA.

There were 126.1 million LTE subscriptions (Q2 2013) and this figure was expected to have topped 150 million by the end of September 2013.
There are currently 222 commercially launched LTE networks in 83 countries, rising to 260 commercial LTE networks by the end of the year.

Some other numbers from the report:

• 23 commercially launched TD-LTE networks in 18 countries, of which 11 are dual mode FDD + TDD systems.  More trials are underway.  There are 274 LTE TDD devices on the market.
  
• LTE-Advanced is a commercial reality already with several networks in South Korea using carrier aggregation.
  
• The first wave of VoLTE service launches that include support for HD voice (using W-AMR) has begun. Many operators have committed to VoLTE deployments or trials in 2013-2014 including KT, LG U+, SK Telecom, Evolve Broadband, T Mobile Austria, Azercell, Sasktel, China Mobile, E Plus, O2 DE, CSL Limited, Bharti Airtel, RIL, NTT DoCoMo, Tele2 NL, Yota, StarHub, Telekom Slovenije, Tele2 SE, Etisalat UAE, AT&T, C-Spire, MetroPCS, US Cellular, Sprint, Verizon Wireless.
  
• 55% of phones sold in Q3 2013 were smartphones, compared to 50% in Q1 2013.
  
• 80% growth in data traffic between Q3 2012 and Q3 2013 driven mainly by video. 

The full report is online.

http://www.gsacom.com/

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GSA: 222 LTE Networks Launched

Th Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) confirmed that 222 operators have commercially launched LTE services in 83 countries.

Some highlights of their most recent report:

• 109 LTE networks were commercially launched in the past 12 months.
  
• 474 operators are investing in LTE in 138 countries, including 421 firm operator commitments to build LTE networks in 128 countries, plus 53 additional operators engaged in various trials, studies, etc. in a further 10 countries.
  
• The majority of LTE operators have deployed the FDD mode of the standard.
  
• The most widely used band in network deployments continues to be 1800 MHz (band 3) which is used in 43% of commercially launched LTE networks.
  
• The next most popular contiguous bands are 2.6 GHz (band 7) used in 30% of networks, followed by 800 MHz (band 20) which is used in over 12% of networks today.
  
• Interest in the TDD mode is strengthening and global. 23 LTE TDD systems are commercially launched in 18 countries, of which 11 that have been deployed in combined LTE FDD & TDD operations.

"Having globally aligned spectrum bands is a great result for end consumers, as these make international roaming easier, and help drive early device availability. Adoption of the APT700 MHz band plan represents a major opportunity for regional and global spectrum harmonization that could deliver the benefits of economies of scale for end-user devices," stated Alan Hadden, President of the GSA.

http://www.gsacom.com/news/gsa_390.php

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GSA: 213 LTE Networks in Commercial Operation

A total of 213 operators have commercially launched LTE services in 81 countries, an increase of 113 networks in the past 12 months, according to Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), which now forecasts there will be 260 commercial LTE networks in 93 countries by end 2013.

Some highlights from GSA's new report:

• 456 operators are investing in LTE in 134 countries. This is made up of 406 firm operator commitments to build LTE networks, 213 have commercially launched networks in 81 countries plus 50 additional operators engaged in various trials, studies, etc.
• 1,064 LTE user devices have been announced by 111 manufacturers, representing around 150% annual growth.
• The majority of LTE operators have deployed the FDD mode of the standard.
• The most widely used band in network deployments continues to be 1800 MHz (band 3) which is used in 43% of commercially launched LTE networks. The next most popular contiguous bands are 2.6 GHz (band 7) used in over 31% of networks, followed by 800 MHz band 20 (over 11%).
• 21 LTE TDD systems are commercially launched (within the total LTE launch count of 213) and 10 of them have been deployed within combined LTE FDD and TDD networks, which is a growing trend.
• GSA reported last month that 222 user devices support the TDD mode.
• There are almost 30 operators who have launched, or are planning enhancements to their networks including support for Category 4, multicarrier operation, and LTE-Advanced features such as carrier aggregation. 

Alan Hadden, President of the GSA, stated: For the first time operators are reporting that they are selling more smartphones than any other device type. Our research confirmed that smartphones are the largest device category for LTE users. Operators need to invest to keep delivering the best mobile broadband experience, and compete.

http://www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers

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GSA: 42 Mobile Operators using 1800 MHz for LTE

The most widely used band for 4G/LTE to date is the 1800 MHz band, according to GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association), which counts 42 active LTE deployments using this spectrum.  The second most popular band in which LTE systems are deployed is 2.6 GHz, followed by 700 MHz.

Commercial LTE1800 services are currently available in 29 countries and there are more than 130 LTE devices on the market suporting this band.

GSA notes that in most cases the 1800 MHz spectrum has been refarmed from its original use as a 2G/GSM band.  

http://www.gsacom.com/lte1800

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GSA: 96 Operators Have Launched LTE

A total of 96 operators have launched commercial LTE services in 46 countries, according to an updated count from the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA). The figure reaffirms LTE as the fastest developing mobile system technology ever.

Some additional stats:

• 292 operators have made firm commitments to deploy commercial LTE networks in 93 countries.
• 11 commercial LTE TDD systems have launched in Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Oman, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the UK.
• 68 operators have launched commercial LTE services in the past 12 months.
• GSA forecasts there will be 152 commercial LTE networks operating in 65 countries by December 31, 2012.
• LTE in 1800 MHz spectrum is now launched on one third of all commercial LTE networks.

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