SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., October 19, 2011 - As new LTE networks are deployed across the world, the demand for LTE handsets will increase exponentially. NewIn-Stat (www.in-stat.com) research reports that this transition has already begun and forecasts that LTE handset shipments will surpass 154 million in 2015.

“As the number of smartphones and other mobile devices that require data connections increases, so does the need for the increased capacity provided by LTE networks,” says Chris Kissel, Analyst.  “There will be over 290 million LTE subscriptions by 2015.  Not only is the forecast for the number of LTE handsets moving rapidly upward, so, too, is the total number of cellular subscribers.”

Key findings in this new In-Stat research include:

• Total cellular subscriptions forecast to reach 6.5 billion in 2015.
• TD-SCDMA will peak in 2014 at 72 million subscriptions.
• North American CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev A subscribers are forecast to peak in 2012.
• Eastern European WiMAX subscribers are forecast to peak in 2014.
• In 2014, in the Middle East and Africa, the sales of WCDMA/HSPA protocol handsets will surpass 98 million units.

Recent In-Stat research, Cellular Subscriptions and Handsets Database, Q4'11 Forecast (#IN1104914WH), provides a summary by bandwidth, technology, and region in pivot tables for quick analysis of trends using a combination of subscriptions as well as handset shipments and revenues.

This report includes:

• Five-year subscription forecasts by wireless technology and region (CDMA, GSM/EDGE, CDMA EV-DO, TD-SCDMA,
• WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+, and LTE)
• Five-year handset shipment and revenue forecasts by technology and region.

This research is part of In-Stat’s Mobile Devices service, which provides analysis and forecasts of the market for mobile communications and computing devices, including cell phones, smartphones, MIDs, tablets, mini-notes/netbooks, and notebooks.