The number of smartphones sold in Latin America will grow more than a four-fold from 2011 to 2017 when sales are expected to surpass 145 million. According to a Pyramid Research survey, three countries—Brazil, Mexico and Argentina—together are expected to account for 68% of all the region’s smartphone sales in 2017.

According to Pyramid Research, Latin America will also be an important pillar for worldwide smartphone sales growth. The consultant firm recently revealed that emerging markets could account for more than half of all smartphone sales in 2017, when total sales are expected to reach 1.53 billion globally. Emerging markets could represent 63% of all smartphone sales then, compared to 42% in 2011.

The growth of smartphones across Latin America is crucial for the launch—and the success—of the next generation of telecom services, such as LTE. Many countries are conducting auctions so carriers can have access to spectrum band to deploy LTE. Last week, Brazil auctioned spectrum frequency bands for LTE deployment, and Colombian UNE EPM launched its LTE services.

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