The total number of TD-LTE subscribers worldwide reached ＄12.48 million at the end of the first quarter and is expected to increase to 70.4 million at the end of the year, according to Telecompaper.com on July 7, 2014.

Saudi Arabia-based Mobily accounted for 28.2 percent of total subscribers, followed by Japanese telco SoftBank Mobile with 27.5 percent, China Mobile with 22.4 percent and Saudi Arabia-based STC with 10.8 percent, according to the study. Digitimes Research also said that the total number of TD-LTE subscribers will increase to 179.8 million at the end of 2015 and 276.2 million at the end of 2016.