Evolution from LTE to 5G: Global Market Status report based on intelligence gathered as part of ongoing industry research and available in GSA’s GAMBoD online database.
Key market facts as of May 2019.
There are:
- 861 operators actively investing in LTE, including those evaluating/testing and trialling LTE and those paying for suitable spectrum licences (excludes those using technology neutral licences exclusively for 2G or 3G services).
- 750 operators running LTE networks providing mobile and/or FWA services in 223 countries worldwide.
- 188 commercial VoLTE networks in 89 countries and a total of 256 operators investing in VoLTE in 116 countries.
- 302 launched or launched (limited availability) LTE-Advanced networks in 134 countries. Overall, 333 operators are investing in LTE-Advanced technology in 141 countries.
- Ten launched networks that support user equipment (UE) at Cat-18 DL speeds within limited geographic areas.
- 760–770 anticipated commercially launched LTE networks by end-2019 (GSA forecast).
- 226 operators with TDD licences and at least 160 operators with launched LTE-TDD networks.
- 148 operators investing in NB-IoT in 71 countries; of these, 98 NB-IoT networks are deployed/launched in 53 countries. Sixty-two operators are investing in LTE-M/Cat-M1 in 36 countries; of these, 37 LTE-M/Cat-M1 networks are deployed/commercially launched in 25 countries.
- 235 operators in 93 countries have launched with limited availability, deployed, demonstrated, are testing or trialling, or have been licensed to conduct field trials of mobile 5G or FWA 5G.
- 45 operators in 30 countries have announced the deployment of 5G within their live network.
- 17 operators have announced limited 3GPP 5G service launches.
Note that all references to countries in this document can be read as also including territories, special administrative regions, disputed territories and dependencies.
©2019 GSA
Evolution from LTE to 5G content can be used providing GSA is referenced as the source.