ABI Research maintains that LTE technology has not only "turbocharged the mobile Internet experience for end-users," as reflected in the rapid adoption of LTE-capable smartphones, along with other mobile devices -- but has also reinvigorated the broadband wireless marketplace. The telecom/datacom analyst firm's latest report finds that 1.26 billion households do not have DSL, cable, or fiber-optic broadband service. Fixed and mobile telcos are looking to LTE to make that connection, contends the research.
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“By the end of 2014, ABI Research anticipates there will be 14.5 million residential and commercial premises with fixed LTE broadband access. By 2019, that figure should grow to 123 million,” says Jake Saunders, VP and 4G practice director at ABI Research.
According to the new report, chipset and CPE vendors are stepping up efforts to prime the market by manufacturing lower cost devices for both the consumer and enterprise segments. Chinese vendors including Huawei and ZTE, along with American brands such as Netgear and Novatel Wireless, have partnerships with North American carriers including Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and AT&T to provide exclusive LTE routers that utilize the carrier’s individual 4G networks.
ABI Research forecasts the shipment numbers for residential LTE gateways and commercial LTE fixed wireless terminals to grow from 9.3 million in 2014 to nearly 44 million in 2019. “Fixed LTE broadband access is proving to be an ‘add-on’ market opportunity for a number of mobile operators that were initially focused on the mobility market,” notes Cheri Wong, research analyst at ABI.
On the LTE chipset front, ABI contends that Intel is keen to jostle for market share with the likes of Sequans, Qualcomm, and GCT. Significantly, in June 2014, Intel and Lantiq announced the release of a Cat6 LTE 300 Mbps joint reference platform. Integrated devices such as LTE gateways and fixed wireless terminals can help to provide a solution for users in rural areas to have access to high-speed Internet, notes the firm. The recent CTIA Super Mobility Week featured numerous vendors showcasing products that facilitate fixed BWA, adds the research firm.
ABI Research’s "4G Broadband Wireless Access Market" report is compiled by the firm's LTE & 5G Market Research service. Learn more.