Smartphones to boost LTE adoption in APAC - Ericsson

The Asia Pacific region will see a boost in the use of LTE due to the proliferation of smartphones and devices in the area, reports The Daily Star citing Ericsson's Southeast Asia and Oceania region president Arun Bansal. More than 200 million LTE subscriptions will come from the Asia Pacific in 2016, and it will be the largest region in terms of LTE subscriptions, according to the statement. In Asia, the use of smartphones, tablets and other devices continues to increase, and this will continue until 2016, when there will be close to 5 billion mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide, he added. Asia Pacific has made a strong start with LTE because seven networks have already commercially launched the technology in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and Australia. He said: "LTE will be a main driver for innovation in the years to come and will open up a number of new areas for telecommunications operators to engage in, such as utilities, transport, health, and broadcasting." At the same time, improvements in healthcare, education and delivery of business productivity applications, along with the expansion of broadband connectivity, can underpin economic growth and stimulate social innovations in both urban and rural areas. The technology is particularly suited to rural areas because of its convenience and growing functionality.