CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--4G is going mass market and it couldn’t be at a more opportune time, according to a new Yankee Group report, “4G Creates Opportunity for All Ecosystem Players.” Demand for mobile technology is increasing at a phenomenal pace. Between 2010 and 2015, the global installed base of smartphones will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33 percent. The tablet market will move even faster, achieving a CAGR of 81 percent during the same period.
This growth in devices cannot be sustained without a significant upgrade in mobile network capacity. Enter 4G. Yankee Group’s forecast data predicts the combined total of LTE and WiMAX mobile lines will reach 675 million by 2015, up from just 31 million at the end of 2011.
“Stunning mobile data growth driven by broad adoption of smartphones, tablets and USB modems is pushing today’s 3G networks into the performance red zone,” said Declan Lonergan, Yankee Group research VP and co-author of the report. “The acceleration of 4G deployments is paramount to meeting consumers’ insatiable appetites for content and applications on the go.”
Other findings include:
- Mobile video consumption is on the rise. More than 40 percent of smartphone owners in the U.S., U.K. and France are already watching video on their mobile devices at least once a week.
- Mobile broadband is moving beyond luxury. Over 40 percent of Europeans now rank mobile Internet access in their top three most important features when choosing a mobile handset.
- Consumer awareness of 4G remains patchy. According to a Yankee Group survey, 44 percent of consumers have either never heard of 4G or don’t understand what it means.
About Yankee Group
Yankee Group is the preeminent research and advisory firm equipping enterprises to profit in a mobile world. The core of our content is proprietary research and analytics on the attitudes, behaviors and usage patterns of mobile users. Based on this research, we provide a range of actionable data, insights and advice to marketing, strategy and product executives driving the mobility revolution in leading companies worldwide.