Apple has announced iOS 6.1, adding LTE capabilities to 36 additional iPhone carriers and 23 additional iPad carriers worldwide. OS 6.1 is available as a free software update today. iOS 6.1 is compatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad (third and fourth generation), iPad mini, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth and fifth generation).

As the UK and Europe commits to 4G (LTE) technology, its successor LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) is already waiting in the wings to deliver the equivalent of a fixed-line broadband experience to the end user, promising peak data rates of around 3 Gbps.

LTE subscribers are projected to surpass the 100-million mark this year and will reach 198.1 million in 2013, up 115% from 92.3 million last year, according to an IHS iSuppli Wireless Communications Special Report.

ABI Research has forecasted that outdoor small cells will reach 500,000 units in 2013 in its latest report on outdoor small cells and carrier Wi-Fi Market Data. 1W and below small cell class will represent almost two-thirds of unit shipments in 2013, and continue to grow to overtake the higher power 5-10W microcell shipments during 2014.

GSA has confirmed that 145 operators have launched commercial services in 66 countries so far. GSA further reports that 104 new operators have committed to invest in LTE network deployments in 2012, raising the total number of committed operators to 330 in 104 countries.

ZTE has announced the world debut of the ZTE Grand S – 5.0 FHD LTE at 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).　As the flagship handset in ZTE’s high-end Grand Series line of products, the ZTE Grand S is the company’s first FHD smartphone and is enabled by the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. 

According to a new ABI Research finding, an estimated 103 Million 4G LTE mobile devices were shipped in 2012. Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones provided LTE-enabled handset shipments a substantial lift in 2012. LTE-enabled handset contribution was put to 91 million in 2012 and the balance came from other mobile devices.

As global LTE smartphone shipments are expected to grow threefold to reach 275 million units in 2013, other 3GPP technologies are also driving many fold increase in smartphone numbers in coming years.

Along with LTE introduction, 3GPP also standardized Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (SRVCC) in Release 8 specifications to provide seamless continuity when an UE handovers from LTE coverage (E-UTRAN) to UMTS/GSM coverage (UTRAN/GERAN).

Global LTE smartphone shipments will grow threefold to reach 275 million units in 2013, reports Strategy Analytics. 90.9 million units are expected to be shipped in 2012.  Company forecasts that it will be a record year for 4G technology.

TeliaSonera's 4G network is now three year old. Operator launched first commercial 4G LTE in Stockholm and Oslo on 14 December 2009. Since 2009, TeliaSonera has expanded its network across the country and now covers almost 700 cities throughout Sweden. Earlier last fall, operator completed two years of Gothenburg and Malmö's 4G network.

LTE subscriptions in North America has soared to 22.3 million, a increase of almost 19 million in 12 months at the end of the 3Q 2012. This represents 51 percent of all 43.7 million LTE connections worldwide, reports 4G Americas. 128 commercial LTE networks have been launched in 58 countries to date.

According to a latest small-cell market status report by Informa Telecoms & Media, 98% of mobile operator respondents believe small cells are essential for the future of their networks. Results are based on a survey with 280 respondents from around the world, although focused on Asia, Europe and North America and more than 30% of whom were operators.

Nearly half of all mobile connections in Australia will belong to 4G LTE by mid-2016, reports Telsyte, an Australian independent emerging technology analyst firm. Telsyte estimates 46 per cent of total mobile connections will be 4G by mid-2016 and in some cases will provide an alternative solution to fixed-line broadband.