The LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) subscriptions will take an important role in the mobile subscriber market, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 295% between 2013 and 2018 to reach 500 million, reports ABI Research. It will represent 34% of the overall 1.47 billion LTE-related subscriptions. 

According to ABI Research, total LTE subscriptions for 1Q-2013 increased by 37.5% quarter-on-quarter, reaching 108 million.

North America will be the most aggressive LTE-A market, followed by Asia-Pacific and Western Europe. ABI Research predicts North America will commercially launch LTE-A by the end of 2013 and mobile subscriptions will approach 220 million by 2018, contributing 44% of the global LTE-A market. In Asia-Pacific, the LTE-A subscriptions will notch up 159 million by 2018, while in Western Europe, it should reach 55 million.