The telecom equipment market may not be in as bad shape as some estimates would suggest, at least for the mobile segment.
Research firm IHS predicts the overall mobile equipment market will grow a solid 13% this year to $376 billion (€289 billion), despite the soft macroeconomic climate.
The projection - which includes handsets, tablets and wireless infrastructure - would represent a slowdown from the 29% growth recorded in 2011. But, according to IHS principal analyst for wireless Francis Sideco, “the market’s double-digit rise in 2012 is a testament to the ongoing appeal of cellphones and tablets to global consumers.”
While it can be assumed that most of the market's growth is being driven by smartphones and tablets, spending on LTE rollouts is also contributing.
IHS estimates that mobile operators will spend more than $8 billion in LTE capex this year, more than double the figure from 2011.