Report: Europe to account for 30% for LTE devices shipped in 2012

While Europe has lagged behind in the race to deploy LTE networks, it should significantly grow its share of LTE  device shipments this year, according to a new study from Signals and Systems Telecoms (S&ST).

The market research firm claims that, while only 200,000 LTE devices found their way into Europe during 2011, deliveries this year are expected to comprise nearly 30 per cent of all LTE devices shipped, amounting to around six million units valued at $1.8 billion.

And while only shipments of LTE PC cards, USB dongles and routers were sold in 2011, S&ST said a significant proportion of device shipments in 2012 will come from LTE-based smartphones and tablets.

HTC recently announced the first LTE smartphone in Europe, the HTC Velocity, which will become available on Vodafone Germany's LTE network next month. Thee widespread availability of LTE-enabled smartphones will be critical to LTE's success within Europe, the study said.

In a survey of more than 20 European mobile operators, over 70 per cent of the respondents agreed the availability of LTE smartphones is a critical success factor for adoption of the technology across Europe.

The study claims that Eastern Europe will lag behind the rest of the continent seeing only 200,000 LTE devices delivered this year, but will quickly gather pace growing to 10 million units by 2016. However, this upsurge will be driven largely by the launch of Russian LTE networks which will account for nearly 30 per cent of the shipments in this region. Article