New iGR Study Forecasts The Role Of Small Cells And DAS In U.S. Mobile Operators' Five-Year Investment in Their LTE Networks

Study Forecasts How Operators' LTE Infrastructure Spending Will Be Split Between Macrocells, Small Cells and DAS

Austin, TX (Marketwired) - Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks are now firmly established in the U.S. with the majority of mobile subscribers using LTE devices. To meet the increasing demand for mobile bandwidth, especially to support video, the larger mobile operators are in the process of upgrading their LTE networks and densifying the cellular architecture with small cells and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS).

Mobile operators will not simply add more macro cell sites to meet the demand. Instead, they will deploy new sites on rooftops and street poles and other locations that are not a tower. The operators will use a combination of metrocells, remote radio heads and DAS to provide the necessary coverage and capacity.

iGR, a market research consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile industry, forecasts that the LTE market will continue to grow and dominate the U.S. mobile landscape for the foreseeable future. iGR also expects that subsequent versions of LTE and the associated new features will form the basis of new 5G networks in the next few years. To support additional LTE capacity, mobile operators are increasingly refarming 2G spectrum, as well as acquiring additional spectrum resources through auctions and private transactions.

The total LTE network build and operating costs are forecast to rise over the next five years, as more consumers use LTE, more devices are added to the networks and more bandwidth is consumed. iGR forecasts the total five-year spend to reach $212 billion.

"Mobile operators will be increasingly more creative in where they deploy with LTE network dollars," said Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR. "This expenditure will include more on solutions that densify the network, thereby increasing the available capacity at a given location. This means more spending on DAS, remote radio heads and other small cell solutions."

iGR's new market study, U.S. LTE Network Infrastructure Spending Forecast, 2014-2019 provides a five-year forecast for the LTE infrastructure build investment and network operating costs per operator in the U.S.. It also forecasts the spending split by network component and by macro cell sites, DAS and small cells. The study also provides a detailed status of U.S. mobile operators' LTE networks.

The following key questions are addressed in the new research study:

• How much mobile data will the LTE networks carry in the U.S.?
• How will the amount of data traffic carried on LTE networks grow in the U.S. in the next five years?
• What is the forecast for the number of LTE subscribers in the U.S. in the next five years?
• How much mobile data is each LTE subscriber expected to consume and how does this change?
• Which operators are investing the most in LTE networks?
• How much of the LTE network build and operating spending is for macro cell sites, DAS and small cells?
• What is the impact of densification on LTE spending?
• How much are U.S. operators investing in LTE both individually and in the aggregate?
• How big is the LTE infrastructure opportunity in the U.S. in the next five years?
• What is the share of LTE infrastructure spending on the network components in the next five years?
• How big are the LTE operating costs in the next five years?
• How do the network build and operating cost forecasts vary by operator?

The information in this market study will be valuable for:

• Mobile network operators
• LTE network infrastructure vendors
• Small cell and DAS OEMs
• Financial analysts and investors.

The new report can be purchased and downloaded directly from iGR's website at www.iGR-inc.com.

About iGR

iGR is a market strategy consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile communications industry. Founded by Iain Gillott, one of the wireless industry's leading analysts, in late 2000 as iGillottResearch, iGR is now in its fifteenth year of operation. iGR continuously researches emerging and existent technologies, technology industries, and consumer markets. We use our detailed research to offer a range of services to help companies improve their position in the marketplace, clearly define their future direction, and ultimately improve their bottom line.

iGR researches a range of wireless and mobile products and technologies, including: smartphones; tablets; mobile wearable devices; connected cars; mobile applications; bandwidth demand and use; small cell and het-net architectures; mobile EPC and RAN virtualization; DAS; LTE; VoLTE; IMS; NFC; GSM/GPRS/UMTS/HSPA; CDMA 1x/EV-DO; iDEN; SIP; macro-, pico- and femtocells; mobile backhaul; WiFi and WiFi offload; and SIM and UICC.

A more complete profile of the company can be found at www.igr-inc.com.