BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwire - March 18, 2010) - With the rapid growth of mobile data consumption, HSPA+ and LTE technologies will provide data-driven consumers with a blazing fast mobile broadband experience today and tomorrow. HSPA+ provides increased network capacity and an improved user experience today, while offering a bridge to the future with the evolution and adoption of LTE.
"Great news about HSPA and LTE is hitting industry headlines in anticipation of next week's CTIA event," commented Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas. "Noteworthy milestones illustrate the tremendous innovation and success of the 3GPP mobile broadband technologies -- from the number of HSPA mobile broadband deployments and subscriptions to the penetration of smartphones; rising operator revenues for data services; 'rocket' speeds for HSPA+; improved backhaul for cell sites; and confirmed deployment plans for LTE."
Key Facts:
- 451 million 3GPP mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide; 64 million in the Americas (Informa Telecoms & Media)
- 60 HSPA mobile broadband networks in 26 countries in the Americas
- HSPA 7.2 has been deployed coast-to-coast by AT&T, Rogers and T-Mobile in North America; backhaul upgrades are underway to realize the full potential of the fastest nationwide networks
- 31% of all mobile phones purchased in the United States during Q409 were smartphones, compared to only 23% in Q408 (NPD Group); 40% integrated device penetration by AT&T with wireless data traffic growth more than 5,000% over the past three years
- Average industry percentage contribution of data to overall average revenue per user in the U. S. was 29% at the end of 2009; mobile data will contribute at least 33% of the overall U.S. mobile service revenues by the end of 2010 (Chetan Sharma)
- HSPA+ has been deployed by Rogers across 41% of the Canadian population
- T-Mobile USA launched HSPA+ in Philadelphia with plans for broad national deployment in 2010
- T-Mobile USA's webConnect Rocket™ USB Laptop Stick - the first HSPA+ device offered by a national U.S. carrier
- Operators are heavily investing in backhaul to cell sites to deliver maximum potential of HSPA and HSPA+ networks and to prepare for LTE
- TeliaSonera commercially launched LTE in Sweden and Norway in 2009; 20 commercial LTE networks are expected in 2010; 130 operators have expressed that LTE will be their future technology evolution (Informa Telecoms & Media)
HSPA is the leading mobile broadband technology worldwide and offers operators the flexibility to meet the increasingly advanced wireless needs of customers. HSPA+ has been demonstrated at peak theoretical speeds up to 84 Mbps by several leading manufacturers (February 2010 at Mobile World Congress) and will continue to improve in the future. HSPA+ provides a strategic performance roadmap advantage for incumbent GSM-HSPA operators providing OFDMA-equivalent performance in 5X5 spectrum allocations with only incremental investment.
"As the first U.S. carrier to launch HSPA+, T-Mobile is excited to offer Philadelphia customers using the new webConnect Rocket an opportunity to experience the fastest speeds available today on any U.S. mobile broadband network," said Neville Ray, Senior Vice President of Engineering for T-Mobile USA. "HSPA+ provides a highway for data-hungry consumers to take advantage of these increased broadband speeds to stay connected while on-the-go. We applaud the Federal Communications Commission for prioritizing mobile broadband availability and support expanding access to additional spectrum to satisfy growing consumer demand."
LTE will be the leading next-generation technology standard. 3GPP reports peak theoretical downlink speeds of up to 326 Mbps (in 20 MHz) for LTE. Signals Research Group recently completed an exhaustive test on the first commercial LTE networks in Stockholm (2X10 MHz) and Oslo (2X20 MHz) with virtually all tests occurring in vehicular mode. The consultancy observed peak user downlink results of nearly 50 Mbps and nearly 85 Mbps respectively while average user downlink data rates were 16.8 Mbps and 32.1 Mbps respectively. In addition to having the fastest network speeds, LTE has the highest spectral efficiency of any mobile broadband technology, making it an essential technology as the market matures. LTE-Advanced was submitted for approval to the ITU as an IMT-Advanced/4G technology.
"AT&T has seen mobile broadband traffic growth of more than 5,000 percent over the past three years, and our use of 3GPP technologies gives us a tremendous advantage as we continue to enhance the nation's fastest 3G network for our customers," stated Kris Rinne, Senior Vice President of Network Architecture and Planning for AT&T. "With HSPA 7.2 software already deployed in our network, our customers will be able to take advantage of faster speeds immediately upon deployment of enhanced fiber-optic backhaul, with millions of compatible devices already in the marketplace. Meanwhile, we are moving ahead with our tests of LTE and look forward to planned deployment next year, in line with expected availability of equipment and compatible devices."
For more information on the 3GPP evolution to 4G, visit the 3G Americas website at www.3gamericas.org.
Download free copies of 3G Americas' recent white papers:
GSM-UMTS Network Migration to LTE
3GPP Mobile Broadband Innovation Path to 4G: Release 9, Release 10 and Beyond
3GPP LTE for TDD Spectrum in the Americas
HSPA to LTE-Advanced: 3GPP Broadband Evolution to IMT-Advanced (4G)
About 3G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Wireless Technology
3G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the GSM family of technologies including LTE throughout the Americas. 3G Americas has contributed to the successful commercial rollout of GSM across the Americas and its place as the No. 1 technology in the region, as well as the global adoption of EDGE. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 3G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas. More information is available at www.3gamericas.org.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Vicki Livingston
3G Americas
262 242 3458