By year-end 2012, ABI Research estimates 91m LTE-capable handsets shipped, with 95 per cent of that total attributed to the North American and Asia-Pacific markets. Shipments of LTE USB-dongles in 2012 reached 6m units, and 3.4m media tablets shipped with LTE.

When 3G handsets came to market in 2003/4, there was close to a 1:1 correlation between a 3G handset sold and an upgraded 2G subscription. But according to Phil Solis, ABI research director, this is not yet happening with every LTE handset sale: “New sign-ups and conversion of 3G subscribers with LTE-capable handsets should gather pace in 2013 and 2014. By 2017 we are anticipating 785m LTE subscribers, up from 58m at the end of 2012, generating $14bn in annual service revenues.”

FierceBroadbandWireless: ABI: 91M LTE handsets shipped in 2012; TelecomTV content partner.