Evolution from LTE to 5G – April 2018 Update

GSA’s Evolution from LTE to 5G report provides an independent in-depth status view and analysis of the global 4G/LTE, LTE-Advanced and 5G markets, supported by facts, and confirms technology trends. Information is obtained, analysed and verified by GSA. The report is published quarterly and referenced by industry across the whole ecosystem.

Key market facts

There are:

• 858 operators investing in LTE, including pre-commitment trials.
• 672 commercially launched LTE or LTE-Advanced networks in 204 countries, including those using LTE for FWA services, and including 111 LTE-TDD (TD-LTE) networks launched in 58 countries.
• 145 commercial VoLTE networks in 70 countries and 224 operators investing in VoLTE in 102 countries.
• 241 launched networks that are LTE-Advanced in 115 countries.
• four launched networks that are capable of supporting user equipment (UE) at Cat-18 DL speeds (within limited geographic areas)
• 680–700 anticipated commercially launched LTE networks by end-2018 (GSA forecast).
• 50 NB-IoT and 15 LTE-M/Cat-M1 networks commercially launched with 58 other operators investing in NB-IoT and 19 other operators investing in LTE-M/Cat-M1 in the form of tests, trials or planned deployments.
• 134 operators that have been engaged in, are engaged in, plan to engage in, or have been licensed to undertake 5G demos, tests or trials of one or more constituent technologies.
• at least 48 operators that have now made public commitments to time-lines for deployment of pre-standards ‘5G’ or standards-based 5G networks in 33 countries.

©2018 GSA

Maps may be reproduced providing GSA is credited as the source.