LTE is expected to claim the major share of wireless infrastructure capital spending next year as mobile carriers migrate towards it. Global capital spending on LTE technology is projected to reach $24.3 billion in 2013, nearly triple the $8.7 billion of 2012, according to IHS iSuppli report. 

LTE infrastructure spending in 2015 will rise to $36.1 billion, compared to just $9.0 billion for 3.5G. This rapid growth is expected to allow LTE to overtake 3.5G, which will end its five-year run this year as the dominant category in wireless infrastructure gear spending. In 2013, 3.5G infrastructure technology will generate $19.8 billion in revenue.

For infrastructure manufacturers and semiconductor suppliers, LTE represents a strong revenue growth potential and an opportunity to develop long-term relationships with carriers. To this end, manufacturers are developing hardware solutions labeled as “Any G to LTE” that support easy software upgrades to LTE, while maintaining backward compatibility with the legacy 2.5G and 2.75G wireless technologies still in use in some parts of the world.