2G and 3G spectrum repurposing for 4G LTE are gaining momentum, said ABI Research.
The launch of Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) services by major carriers first in South Korea and soon in the United States is part of the effort to move voice calls from the circuit switched 2G and 3G networks to the packet switched LTE networks. To achieve this, operators have built extensive LTE networks, which also serve as a marketing tool to stay in competition.
For CDMA operators such as Verizon, aggressive LTE deployment is necessary because a VoLTE call cannot fall back to the circuit switched domain.
Even for WCDMA operators like AT&T, it makes sense to do likewise because LTE is much more spectral efficient than WCDMA. As such, by the end of next year, when VoLTE has gained more momentum, ABI Research expects more than 93 percent of the North American population to have access to LTE.
Underlying the adoption of LTE is the support from handset OEMs. In 2014, LTE handset shipments in Asia-Pacific and North America—the two largest handset markets—will grow by 28 percent and 25 percent to reach 150 million and 81 million respectively. As China joins the VoLTE club next year, more handsets will support this service.”
Other devices will increasingly have access to LTE networks as well. Tablets with LTE support will see global shipments jump by 67 percent in 2014. The growth of 72 percent is even higher for the United States, which may come as a surprise for this relatively mature market, as consumers take advantage of shared data plans which are gaining popularity.