LTE to hit 200mn mobile connections in LatAm by end-2017

Latin America is expected to reach 198.6mn LTE connections by the end of 2017, accounting for a 28% share of the mobile market, according to data from Ovum, cited by 5G Americas.

By the end of 2021, LTE is expected to reach 458mn connections in the region (including M2M), giving it a 59% share of the mobile market. At the end of 2Q17, the region had 159mn LTE connections, up 77.6mn year-on-year for a 23% market share compared to 12% a year earlier.

Total mobile connections are forecast to reach 777mn at end-2021 compared to 695mn at end-June this year.

"LTE continues to make significant progress in Latin America and the Caribbean with the expansion of current networks and the imminent increase in the number of markets offering LTE-Advanced," said Jose Otero, director of Latin America and the Caribbean for 5G Americas.

"As more spectrum is allocated in the Caribbean and Central American markets and LTE network coverage increases, its adoption will accelerate," he added.

Globally, LTE connections grew 59% from June 2016 to the same month this year, reaching 2.37bn and a 30% market share, up 10 percentage points year-on-year.

Nearly half of the additional subscribers came from Oceania, Eastern and Southeastern Asia, with China the biggest contributor.

For 2021, the LTE global market share is expected to reach 53%. 5G connections are expected to total 111mn by the end of 2021.

According to 5G Americas, LTE will become Mexico's leading technology in 2020 with 83.6mn subscriptions.