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Reach
Issue 7 2014
Slow then soaring growth
for LTE data connections
An independent look
at the LTE impact on
critical communications
By Elizabeth Mead,
Market Analyst, IHS
T
he private LTE market is
expected to show slow growth
over the few years, but longer
term the amount of data connections
are expected to soar, according to a
study from information and analytics
provider IHS.
Demand for data is increasing
in a number of regions worldwide,
as more users expect more
sophisticated and high-bandwidth
applications on their networks.
Traditionally, this type of functionality
has been limited on traditional LMR
networks, as narrowbanding has
reduced the ability to transfer large
data packets. Surely, therefore, the
industry is crying out for a solution
that is able to offer both the traditional
LMR systems in combination with
high-bandwidth capability.
So far, however, the uptake of
private LTE – the forerunner in the
PMR broadband race – has been
slow, with fewer networks operational
than previously expected. There have
been spectrum allocations that have
increased uptake of LTE networks –
such as allocation in China and the
United Arab Emirates, and of course
the roll out of FirstNet in the United
States. So there have been some
success stories for LTE.
However, it is key to note that
harmonised spectrum allocation
may take many years, especially
in a disaggregated Europe where
a number of activities to provide
cohesive spectrum policy are still
ongoing. As such, the impact of LTE
in the short run is expected to be
limited. Instead of using LTE for high-
bandwidth applications, some users
currently have to find alternatives.
TEDS technology, for example, offers
enhanced data rates as an overlay
to traditional LMR networks, and
therefore presents a mid-term solution
to the increasing need for higher data
throughput capabilities without the
need to wait for LTE infrastructure and
spectrum harmonisation. Importantly,
however, IHS projects that these
