As you have probably noticed by now, we discuss LTE quite frequently on the Altair blog. And sure, as a maker of innovative, low price, low power LTE chipset solutions, we have a vested interest in seeing awareness and adoption of LTE grow across the world.
But we also happen to believe that the Internet of Things (IoT) can change billions of lives for the better and that LTE—due to its ubiquity, low cost per bit, low power consumption and ecosystem support — will be a key driver for the IoT.
If recent growth of LTE networks and adoption rates are any indication, it appears much of the world agrees with our opinion. Let’s take a look at some of the facts and figures that demonstrate how LTE continues to grow worldwide:
– 44 percent of mobile subscriptions in the US and Canada are now LTE, according to research from 4G Americas.
– By the end of 2014, 360 LTE networks had been commercially launched across 76 countries worldwide, according to research from the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).
– The wearables market, which will be built largely on LTE connectivity, will grow by 35 percent annually according to recent research from Business Insider.
– According to Research and Markets, by 2019 up to 15 percent of all carrier revenue will be dependent on smart cities, many of which will be supported largely by LTE networks.
– As of October 2014, manufacturers had announced 2,218 LTE-enabled user devices—a 5 percent increase year over year, according to GSA.
– More than 30 models of 2015 General Motors (GM) vehicles will have LTE connectivity on board, according to TechHive.
– A recently published Nokia white paper stated that LTE-based solutions must draw minimum power and enable more than 10-year battery life for small connected devices—like smart meters and street lights—to enable the IoT on a wide scale moving forward.
These are all compelling, engaging statistics, but the last bullet point is of particular interest to us. Altair’s chipset solutions consume far less power than legacy products, which means the 10-year battery life mentioned in the Nokia white paper can already be a reality for manufacturers who build our LTE chipsets into their products.
But as we said at the outset of this post, our interest in LTE goes beyond our own company. The IoT may have an even greater impact on the world than the Internet itself, incredible as that may sound. So as we continue to work to grow our business, we also continue to work toward building an IoT ecosystem that will help deliver IoT solutions to greater numbers of people across the world.
To read more about what Altair is doing to drive IoT growth, take a look at this recent article published in IoT Evolution Magazine.