The Ericsson Chronicles

Dedicated to the cross continental sections of Canada, the US, Mexico and Greece that in their time and place. and in their own respective ways, contributed to making digital mobile communication a reality.



Dedicated also to Eric Burdon whose singing kept me company during warm summer nights, and cold winter days.

The World of Mobile TV

326 Million Dual-Mode 4G Devices to be Activated by 2016

MARAVEDIS RESEARCH :

MONTREAL, Canada, May 31, 2011 - 326 Million Dual-Mode (3G + LTE) Devices will be Activated by 2016 according to Maravedis' latest research titled "Global 4G Device Forecast 2011-2016". "All LTE devices activated during 2010, including USB data cards, modems and notebooks, were single-mode," said Cintia Garza, author of the report. "However, LTE+3G smartphones have emerged during 2011 as more LTE operators begin to add LTE to their device offering, in particular smart phones whose adoption will be key to LTE uptake." In the United States, Sprint's early success with WiMAX smart phones suggests a very promising uptake for LTE smart phones.

Many other carriers around the world are also looking at introducing smart phones in their LTE device portfolio by the end of 2011, such as NTT DoCoMo (Japan), and Yota (Russia). "By 2013, more than 50% of LTE devices activated worldwide will support both FDD and TDD duplex modes, once TD-LTE deployments consolidate in China, India, Malaysia, Korea and other APAC countries," continued Garza. "On the other hand, 75% of the LTE devices will support legacy systems (2G/3G) and 9% will support WiMAX technology; these devices will mainly include smart phones, tablets and USB dongles".

Tablets are also one of the most promising devices in the 4G device market. Maravedis' report predicts tablet shipments will grow from 46 million in 2011 to nearly 150 million by 2016. Apple iOS is expected to remain the most popular tablet for the coming years, reaching 46% market share by 2016.

Additional Research Findings:

260 million dual-mode (TD LTE + FDD LTE) devices will be activated by 2016Android will account for 48.5% of the smart phone market, Windows 21% and iPhone (iOS) 16.5% by 2016.

APAC and Europe will account for the largest number of smart phones and tablets activated by 2016.

By 2016, 95% of the tablet installed base will be 3G/4G enabled.

LTE will boost capacity 230 percent over 3G according to British OfCom

4G technology will bring over three times more mobile broadband capacity to the UK from 2013, Ofcom said on Thursday.

According to research conducted by the telecoms regulator, LTE (long-term evolution) is 230 percent more spectrally efficient than HSPA, the 3G technology that currently provides cellular data connectivity to the country. However, LTE was not the only 4G technology considered in the research — Ofcom also looked at emerging and later generations of LTE's big rival, WiMax.

Stephen Unger, Ofcom's chief technology officer, said the efficiency of 4G spectrum use would increase even more by the end of the decade, by which point technologies such as the future LTE Advanced standard should be in place.

"4G mobile technologies will be able to send more information than 3G, for a given amount of spectrum," Unger said in a statement. "This increased efficiency means that 4G networks will be able to support increased data rates and more users.

"The research that we commissioned indicates that early 4G mobile networks with standard configurations will be 3.3 times (230 percent) more spectrally efficient than today's standard 3G networks," Unger continued. "To put this in context, a user on an early 4G network will be able to download a video in around a third of the time it takes today on a 3G network. It is anticipated that this efficiency will increase to approximately 5.5 times (450 percent) by 2020."

A user on an early 4G network will be able to download a video in around a third of the time it takes today on a 3G network.
– Stephen Unger, Ofcom

Ofcom conducted the research to better inform its strategic spectrum management work. The 3.3-times boost is in comparison with the HSPA technology being used by 2011's handsets, although compared with "emerging, high-end 3G configurations" that use multiple antennas and more efficient modulation, 4G will only provide a 1.2-times spectral efficiency increase, Ofcom said.

The increased spectral efficiency of 4G will not in itself be enough to satisfy the growing thirst for mobile broadband, Ofcom added, noting that the upcoming auctions of the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands will also be necessary to meet demand.

"Finally, mobile networks will also need to be designed intelligently to ensure the best use of spectrum," the regulator said. "In particular, the research anticipates a greater use of small cells to meet demand in specific areas."