The price difference between 3G and LTE services will be less than 5 percent from 2015, said Gartner.
By end of 2014, LTE devices will reach the $150 price point.
Telecom service spending is projected to grow 0.7 percent in 2014, with spending reaching $1,635 trillion, said Gartner in another report.
Voice average revenue per user (ARPU) will decline by about 10 percent annually through 2018 because of a decline in consumer use of voice services — particularly among prepaid users. Increased competition between communication services providers is leading to price competition.
Emerging low-cost or free/advertisement-subsidized mobile data services and low-cost services from mobile virtual network operators that target less-lucrative segments are impacting ARPU more than initially expected.
Japan, South Korea and North America represent the largest LTE markets to date and account for almost 90 percent of global LTE subscriptions in 2013.
In South Korea, over half of all mobile connections were using LTE networks at the end of 2013, whereas penetration reached 2 percent in Western Europe. South Korean CSPs launched LTE by placing strategic focus on fundamental drivers, such as a range of LTE devices, data-centric pricing and services and apps.
Global Mobile Suppliers Association earlier said 279 telecom operators in 101 countries launched LTE networks as of 31 March 2014.
Gartner said that there will be more than 1 billion LTE connections at the end of 2017.
Telecom network vendor Ericsson retained its LTE leadership with a 34 percent market share — a slight decrease from last year.
Ericsson’s LTE share is twice the combined share of its next two rivals, namely Huawei and NSN.
