4G LTE Penetration Rate Higher in North America than Any Other Region

According to 5G Americas and Ovum, worldwide 4G LTE subscription numbers continued to grow substantially during the yearlong period ending in Q3 2017, increasing by 838 million to hit a total of 2.5 billion.

The two companies reported that 4G LTE accounted for nearly one-third of all mobile phone subscriptions by the end of 2017's third quarter.

The mobile data standard's penetration rate was highest in North America, at 94%.

That was significantly higher than the penetration seen in the second-ranked region, Oceania and Eastern and Southeastern Asia, at 58%.

North America also accounted for the highest proportion—73%—of 4G LTE subscriptions worldwide.

While 4G continues to make strides, uptake of the newer, faster 5G mobile broadband standard is close on the horizon. A recent study from Strategy Analytics estimated there will be 1.5 billion 5G-enabled smartphones shipped in 2025, up from 2 million in 2019.

Ericsson also expects a fast uptake of 5G over the coming year, projecting that there will be 1 billion subscriptions by the end of 2023.

5G Americas took note of the potential of 5G to upend the mobile broadband landscape, but remained bullish on 4G LTE's short-term prospects.

"Currently operators are deploying more advanced LTE capabilities, and LTE subscriptions are continuing to grow at a fantastic rate," said Chris Pearson, president of 5G Americas.