LTE is the technology standard that will support the stongly growing demand for mobile data applications and services, particularly mobile broadband which continues to lead the way. In Australia one estimate suggests that mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 65% in the last 6 months of 2008 from around one million to 1.65 million.

This kind of consumer demand growth, the key role of LTE and the flow-on implications for producitvity and connectivity in our rapidly emerging digital economy are the main factors behind the mobile sector's call for new radiofrequency spectrum resources, AMTA CEO Chris Althaus told a Network Insight Digital Dividend Seminar in Sydney this week. "

We cannot afford to be left behind on new spectrum allocations to support the future demand growth for mobile data. All around the world nations' are recognising the vital productivity enabling capacity of this technology and moving maximise allocations of new spectrum in the 700MHz band via the digital dividend and in the 2.5GHz band - both are critical to meeting future demand for mobile broadband." Mr Althaus said.

The number of Long Term Evolution (LTE) subscriptions worldwide will grow at a CAGR of 404% from 2010 to 2014, a pace faster than any previous mobile standard including 3G, according to the latest report from Pyramid Research.

For the first time, most of the major players, operators and vendors alike, are behind the same mobile standard, says Daniel Locke, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report.

"By using LTE's more efficient and cost-effective flat IP architecture, mobile operators can transfer the savings to end users in the form of lower prices for access, faster data rates, and higher traffic allowances for a wider adoption of mobile data services," he says.  "To date, 27 mobile operators worldwide have publicly committed to deploying LTE, with 12 of them expected to rollout commercial services in 2010 and the remainder during 2011 and 2012."

Pyramid expects LTE to grow more rapidly than preceding mobile standards in terms of subscriptions.

"While it took nearly six years for UMTS/HSPA to reach 100 million subscriptions, Pyramid predicts that LTE will take just over four years  to reach the same milestone", says Locke.  "The number of LTE subscriptions worldwide will grow at a CAGR of 404% from 2010 to 2014 and reach 136 million by year-end 2014, " he adds.

Locke comments that the majority of LTE subscriptions in the early stages will come in developed markets, with the US and Japan leading the way.  But he expects growth eventually to be faster in emerging markets, particularly in China with increased vendor support for TD-LTE.

"LTE will grow 30% faster in emerging markets than developed ones; subscriptions in emerging markets will account for 43% of the LTE total in 2014, up from 5% in 2010," he says.