The number of LTE device manufacturers has more than doubled within the last year, according to the latest data from the Global Mobile Suppliers Association. There are 275 companies now making LTE devices, and the number of different devices on the market is up to 2,646.
Smartphones represent just half the LTE devices on the market. Routers and personal hot spots make up roughly 17% of the total, followed by tablets, dongles and modules.
GSA said that 566 operators in 166 countries have made commitments to LTE networks, with 360 of those networks having already launched. The group estimates that there are 373 million LTE/LTE-Advanced subscriptions worldwide.
Almost 30% of LTE operators are investing in LTE-A technologies, and 49 operators have commercially launched LTE-A carrier aggregation systems in 31 countries, according to GSA.
The 1800 MHz band dominates the LTE devices ecosystem currently, with 1,141 user devices. More than 43% of all LTE devices can operate in this band. Most LTE devices still operate in the FDD mode, but TDD is gaining ground thanks to the rollout of LTE in China. During the last year, the number of TDD smartphones rose 763% to 544.