Asia Pacific is poised to overtake North America by the number of 4G/LTE subscribers, claiming over 53% of all 4G/LTE subscribers by year-end, research shows.
A new study by Parks Associates attributes the region's expected rise to dominance to large gains in South Korea and Japan.
According to the report, global 4G/LTE subscriptions will increase from 9 million in 2011 to over 560 million in 2016, accounting for 8.8% of the global mobile customer base.
As of June 2012, 83 mobile carriers have launched LTE networks in 43 countries, while 40 more carriers intend to deploy LTE by year-end.
“Fifteen carriers in the region now have live LTE services, with affordable pricing models that prompt robust subscriber growth in this region," said Harry Wang, Parks Associates’ director of digital health and mobile product research.
"Mobile operators worldwide have committed to 4G/LTE as the network technology of the future, but financial conditions, handset costs, and spectrum license availability will all influence the pace and scope of regional deployments."
CHART: Global 4G/LTE subscribers by region