Lteworld.org reports that the 4G/LTE subscriptions in North America are expected to reach 85 percent of the population by 2019, and in Europe, 30 percent, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, which also has global LTE subscriptions at 2.6 billion, by 2019, or about 30 percent of total mobile subscriptions. WCDMA/HSPA subscriptions are predicted at 4.5 billion.

In addition, the report puts the increase in the number of active cellular M2M devices by 2019, at 3-4 times the current figure of 200 million at the end of 2013. The majority of cellular M2M devices today are still GSM-only, but that is expected to shift by 2016, when 3G/4G will account for the majority of active cellular M2M subscriptions.

By 2015, the total number of mobile subscriptions will exceed global population levels and, by 2019, mobile broadband subscriptions will reach 7.6 billion, or more than 80 percent of total mobile subscriptions. The same year, LTE coverage in Europe will be around 80 percent, but Europe will only see LTE subscriptions of 30 percent, compared to North America’s 85 percent. And, within Europe, there will be large differences between its western, central, and eastern parts.

LTE coverage in North-East Asia is expected to be 95 percent by 2019. That same year, China is expected to have over 700 million LTE subscriptions, representing more than 25 percent of global subscriptions.