LTE Boosts Mobile Gear By 17% in 2012

Thanks to 4G LTE technology, the global market for mobile communications gear will grow 17% in 2012, according to research firm IHS, formerly iSuppli.

By Matt Hamblen
Thu, February 09, 2012

Computerworld — Thanks to 4G LTE technology, the global market for mobile communications gear will grow 17% in 2012, according to research firm IHS, formerly iSuppli.

The revenue received by manufacturers of mobile communications equipment should reach $398 billion, up 17% from $340.8 billion in 2011, IHS said Thursday. Mobile communications equipment includes smartphones and other mobile handsets, tablets , and wireless infrastructure gear such as routers.

LTE networks, which offer as much as 10 times the speed of 3G wireless data technology, require infrastructure gear as well as LTE transmitters on smartphones.

"Both consumers and wireless providers are embracing LTE," noted Francis Sideco, an IHS analyst. "The transition to LTE is driving growth both on the consumer and infrastructure end of the wireless business in 2012 and beyond."

IHS predicts the mobile communications equipment market will mushroom beyond the half-trillion-dollar mark by 2015. The growth from 2010 to 2011 was 32%.

Smartphones with 4G chips will be $21.7 billion of the total 2012 market, but that is up 372% from $4.6 billion in 2011, IHS noted.

IHS said LTE growth is partly due to companies that have moved off WiMax in favor of LTE, including Beceem Communications and French-based Sequans Communications. Also, Samsung and Motorola Mobility are producing their own LTE chips, after having turned in the past to Qualcomm for 3G cellular chips.

LTE network deployments involve a combination of different types of large and small cell sites, sometime instead of cell towers. These sites are known as base stations and can be large or small in size, and some have low-power needs. Some carriers call the devices for LTE in the field "metro cells," which can be mounted on shopping mall structures, in subways and along railways to augment coverage in high data traffic locations.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed . His e-mail address is mhamblen@computerworld.com .

Read more about wireless networking in Computerworld's Wireless Networking Topic Center.

Originally published on www.computerworld.com. Click here to read the original story.

What is Tech Briefcase?

TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more

Bookmark content

Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.

Search and Store

Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.

View Anywhere

Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.

Don't have an account yet?

You are here: Technology Topics » Mobile/Wireless » News

Most Recent Mobile/Wireless Stories

White Papers »

Converged Infrastructure for Dummies

As you know, everything is mobile, connected, interactive, and immediate. This is exactly why organizations need a highly agile IT infrastructure in order to keep pace with extreme fluctuations in business demand. This book will help you understand why infrastructure convergence has been widely accepted as the optimal approach for simplifying and accelerating your IT to deliver services at the speed of business while also shifting significantly more IT resources from operations to innovation.

Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Enterprise Mobile: Expectations and Expertise

Enterprise mobility: Most IT leaders say it's transformational, strategic. But only 18% said in a recent study that they have a comprehensive strategy for mobility. The problem: Lack of expertise, time and resources, among other issues.

IT Managers Face Security, Management Challenges with Proliferating Mobile Devices

A recent IDG survey of businesses with 100-500 employees reveals data security is the top barrier to supporting employees' mobile devices. This KnowledgeVault highlights survey results and explores how IT leaders are dealing with issues from encrypting mobile data without impacting performance and remotely disabling devices, to dealing with the Apple App Store for iPad and iPhone apps.

Refreshing the Mobile Infrastructure

The convenient portability and high functionality of consumer devices combined with the ability to connect to the Internet almost anywhere and at any time are resulting in a growing mobile workforce realizing important productivity benefits - right at the point of contact with customers and partners.

Is Your Infrastructure Mobile Ready?

Even if your organization is not large, you need to ensure mobile data is secure. This guide offers expert advice and peer examples of how midsize businesses are developing a master plan for mobile security. It's just one of the resources, along with expert videos and research results, you'll find in this Mobility KnowledgeVault.

SMB's and the Consumerization of IT

As social media becomes an integral part of consumer technology, an increasing number of employees are bringing their personal mobile devices to work, enabling social media and collaboration in the workplace.

Webcasts »

Take Control and Empower users with BlackBerry Mobile Fusion from RIM

At one time, a smart phone was only on executive tool that increased productivity. But now, more employees than ever before are bringing their own mobile devices and tablets into the workplace. CIOs must satisfy this new class of users but they need the tools to manage the growing number of devices and tablets over a wider variety of mobile operating systems.

Join David Heit, Senior Director of Product Strategy for Research In Motion (RIM) and award-winning technology editor Stan Gibson for a look at the forces that are transforming mobile IT today. In this Webcast you will learn about BlackBerry(R) Mobile Fusion and now you can manage and secure BlackBerry(R), iOS and Android(TM) devices all from one unified interface.

Mobility KnowledgeVault

How "mobile ready" is your infrastructure? This Mobility Knowledge Vault provides a wide variety of expert advice on how to strike a balance between end user ease-of-use and security. Prepare your organization with primers on data encryption and user authentication, device disablement and devising an employee-liable device strategy that makes both IT and users happy.

Successful Mobility: Access and Performance Anywhere

Today's workforce is truly mobile. At the office, from customer sites, even at home or in a hotel - their connectivity and application performance needs remain the same. But even though their requirements don't change, the challenges in meeting their expectations do.

Workday's Mobile Solution for iPad

Stay connected while on the go
As the workforce around the world becomes more mobile, enterprises are enabling their workers to stay informed and connected while on the go. Deploying Workday's cloud-based mobile solutions could not be easier!

Embracing BYOD: Best Practices from the Front Lines

Mobility is reshaping business worldwide. It's also reshaping how IT operates, fueled by the "Bring Your Own Device" trend, a trend that's been in the making since at least 2008. In this webcast, you'll learn how world IT leader SAP has embraced BYOD for lower costs, higher employee satisfaction and better business outcomes.

Oracle Database Appliance Best Practices

Business users increasingly demand 24x7 availability of their data while IT departments face the challenge of ensuring maximum availability while operating with limited budgets.

Newsletter Sign-Up »

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter