According to the Global mobile Suppliers Association 193 LTE devices serve the 700 MHz U.S. digital dividend spectrum, with another 78 LTE devices designed for Band 4 of AWS 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum.
The 700 MHz devices are available for various bands, the GSA said. Market leader Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) holds 700 MHz spectrum mainly in Band Class 13, while AT&T (NYSE:T) uses 700 MHz spectrum in Band Class 17. "The majority of LTE user devices operate in the 700 MHz band since LTE networks using this spectrum are the most extensively developed today, driven by market developments in the USA," said the GSA.
There are currently 90 devices available for Europe's 800 MHz digital dividend spectrum, all designed for Band 20. In addition, there are also 98 LTE devices designed for the 1800 MHz Band 3, 120 devices for the 2600 MHz Band 7 and 75 devices for 800/1800/2600 MHz, according to the GSA.
The group noted that European operators are primarily using 2600 MHz, 1800 MHz and 800 MHz digital dividend spectrum for LTE--in many cases using all three bands--and manufacturers have rapidly responded with products for these markets. For example, the number of user devices capable of operating in the 2600 MHz Band 7 increased by 85 percent since January 2012, said the GSA.
The group's latest report on the status of the LTE ecosystem also revealed that 67 manufacturers have announced 417 LTE-enabled user devices, 68 of which can operate in TD-LTE mode. The breakdown of LTE user devices by form factor includes:
- 45 modules
- 31 tablets
- 19 notebooks
- 1 PC card
- 3 femtocells
- 83 smartphones
- 157 routers
- 78 dongles
"The number of LTE user devices announced in the market has more than tripled over the past year," said Alan Hadden, GSA president.
The GSA said 267 LTE devices also operate on HSPA, HSPA+ or DC-HSPA+ networks. Within this figure, 109 LTE devices can operate on 42 Mbps HSPA+ systems. Further, 126 LTE devices support operation on cdma2000 EV-DO networks.
A total of 327 operators in 99 countries are currently investing in LTE, and 144 LTE networks are expected to be in commercial service in 59 countries by the end of this year, the group said.
For more:
- see this GSA release
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