LTE networks will cover half of Africa's population by the end of 2018, as base station deployments swell at a CAGR of 40 per cent over the next five years, ABI Research predicts. However, LTE network population coverage will be far from homogenous across the region, with countries including Angola and Namibia nearing the halfway point already, while wealthier nations including Botswana and Gabon have yet to deploy the advanced technology. African LTE cellular subscriptions are projected to multiply at a CAGR of 128 per cent to surpass 50 million by end-2018. Nearly half are expected to be able to use VoLTE services. "What makes this exponential subscription growth possible is the increasing affordability of LTE handsets a few years down the road," said Jake Saunders, VP and practice director at ABI Research, adding: "Given the poor fixed-line infrastructure, people will depend on the wireless network for Internet access. There is a strong business case for mobile operators to roll out LTE early to take advantage of the opportunity." Release