3G/WCDMA-HSPA, LTE Fact Sheet February 12, 2010GSA regularly surveys the evolution of mobile to 3G and beyond, and confirms: 325 commercial WCDMA operators in 135 countries WCDMA is the leading 3G system globally with over 73% commercial networks share 97% of commercial WCDMA operators have launched HSPA service 453 million WCDMA subscribers (Q4 09) 151 million WCDMA subscriptions added in 12 months; 50% annual growth 364 HSPA operator commitments in 144 countries 315 HSPA operators commercially launched in 133 countries Over 79% of commercial HSDPA networks support 3.6 Mbps peak or higher 53.3% of commercial HSDPA networks support 7.2 Mbps peak or higher 80 HSPA+ network commitments; 41 HSPA+ networks in commercial service 110 operators committed to HSUPA; 98 HSUPA operators launched in 52 countries 14 commercial UMTS900 (HSPA) networks launched; 258 user devices announced 2,137 HSDPA devices launched; 67% annual growth 493 HSUPA devices launched; 156% annual growth GSA Surveys referenced in this Fact Sheet include: UMTS900 Global Status HSPA Devices Survey Mobile broadband growth reports WCDMA-HSPA Launches fro HSPA Operator Commitments Evolution to LTE Digital Dividend Update EDGE Fact Sheet December 3, 2009 January 26, 2010 February 11, 2010 February 4, 2010 February 4, 2010 December 10, 2009 February 2, 2010 February 1, 2010 http://www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.php4 www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/wcdma_databank.php4 www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.php4 www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/wcdma_databank.php4 www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/wcdma_databank.php4 http://www.gsacom.com/news/gsa_288.php4 http://www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.php4 www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/edge_databank.php4#EDGE_Fact_Sheet WCDMA subscribers including HSPA WCDMA (including HSPA) has more than 75% market share of global 3G subscriptions (WCDMA and EV-DO). WCDMA subscriptions worldwide, including HSPA, exceeded 453 million at December 31, 2009 (source: Informa Telecoms & Media). This figure includes more than 217 million HSPA subscriptions. These lower frequencies offer wider area coverage at lower cost. streaming services. Spectrum in the 700 MHz band will also be auctioned in Canada. which arises from the migration of broadcast TV services from analogue to digital transmissions. HSPA means improved efficiencies. See GSA report: Digital Dividend Update (February 2010) at www. .2170 MHz. and thus reduce the digital divide. Licensing of this band for wireless/mobile services has begun and will continue. WCDMA systems including HSPA are deployed already in several frequency bands: 850. 900. and better building penetration. according to network and user device capabilities. ITU WRC-2000 identified 2. for example. LTE Fact Sheet February 12. and a similar customer experience to fixed line broadband with the added value of mobility. including 168 networks (53. 1900 as well as 2100 MHz.50 2.8 – 5. Strong interest is shown by WCDMA-HSPA mobile device manufacturers to support this band. 315 commercial HSPA operators have launched in 133 countries. efficient mobile working and more.3%) supporting 7. More network operators confirm traffic. 1700. large email attachments. 790 – 862 MHz is identified by ITU as a co-primary band for mobile communications. capacity and broadband services by acquiring spectrum in this band. and several governments are preparing to allocate this spectrum for mobile broadband services. Network operators have an opportunity to expand their business. with High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) being the first evolution of WCDMA to boost capacity and user downlink data speeds. HSPA delivers fast data access for music/video downloads.com 250 live HSPA operators (over 79%) support 3.6 Mbps or higher peak downlink speed. HSDPA delivers advanced mobile multimedia services with typical user data throughputs of 0. 97% of WCDMA operators have launched HSPA. GSA confirms there are a total of 364 HSPA operator commitments in 144 countries/territories. web surfing. 325 commercial WCDMA operators are launched in 135 countries.0 Mbps. In Europe. file sharing. thus establishing the benchmark for mobile broadband globally. Mobile communications should be a key beneficiary of the Digital Dividend. and WCDMAHSPA infrastructure products have been announced. lower cost of delivery.Reports from Operators Worldwide (Updated February 11.2 Mbps peak or higher. a 3GPP global standard. 1800.69 GHz spectrum as an "IMT-2000 Extension Band". 2010 WCDMA is specified by the ITU as a 3G standard and is the leading 3G system globally.3G/WCDMA-HSPA. For operators.gsacom. revenue growth from data/HSPA services – see Mobile Broadband Growth .com Most WCDMA systems operate in the IMT-2000 core band of 1920 . increased revenues and profits.1980 MHz paired with 2110 . 2010) at www. and most likely soon in Mexico and in Chile. and more competitiveness.com High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) The path to mobile broadband began with WCDMA and moved to a new baseline with High Speed Packet Access (HSPA). and will assist greatly extension of mobile broadband coverage to rural areas. One example is the auction in the USA of 62 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band which will accommodate WCDMA-HSPA and LTE – Long Term Evolution systems.gsacom. A growing number of governments in Europe have committed to allocating Digital Dividend spectrum for mobile broadband services.gsacom. see “WCDMAHSPA Launches Worldwide” survey at www. New Zealand. Finland launched UMTS900.gsacom. 2009 LMT launched UMTS900 in Latvia on November 10. from the initial 2 Mbps capabilities to 5. Belgium launched UMTS900. In the Americas.com/news/gsa_286. meaning substantial CAPEX and OPEX savings for 3G deployments. LTE Fact Sheet February 12. Uplink speeds are evolving. php4 . 900 MHz for lower cost wide area coverage. a much larger coverage footprint compared to 2100 MHz can be achieved. Many operators choose a complementary combination of 900 MHz and 2100 MHz. or planned and GSA expects more HSPA deployments in the 900 MHz band and consequently a realistic opportunity to address the “rural -urban” digital divide. 3G/HSPA deployment in the 900 MHz band (UMTS900) significantly reduces the number of cell sites needed to cover rural and suburban areas.g. July 2008 DNA. In Europe the GSM Directive was recently amended. The 900 MHz band is widely used by GSM systems throughout Europe. Several UMTS900 networks are launched. July 2008 Proximus. e. Russia. ensuring operators are well positioned for future evolution. 850 MHz spectrum is also available in Africa.3G/WCDMA-HSPA. with another 12 deployments underway. Iceland launched UMTS900. UMTS-HSPA) to be deployed in the 900 MHz band. Also see Industry predicts 21 Mbps to be next mobile broadband baseline www. 98 operators in 52 countries have launched HSUPA service. October 2008 Digitel.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.gsacom.php4 UMTS900. 41 operators have commercially launched HSPA Evolution (HSPA+) systems – see next page for details. 900 MHz or 850 MHz. UMTS850 and UMTS900 systems leverage economies of scale and maturity of the HSPA eco-system (see chart left). Venezuela launched Latin America’s first UMTS900 system. Belgium launched UMTS900. January 2008 AIS launched Asia’s first UMTS900 system in Thailand on 6 May 2008 Optus. and more products are continually being introduced. on 2 March 2009 TeliaSonera. May 2008 Mobistar.8 Mbps which is now becoming increasingly common today. Updates/developments: GSA Information Paper “UMTS 900 Global Status” www. June 2009 Vodafone Australia launched UMTS900 on August 31. and some Asian markets. Finland launched UMTS900. and the Middle East. Many countries now permit UMTS900 deployments and regulatory actions have been taken or are underway in several markets to remove the exclusivity condition. 2009 258 UMTS900-HSPA devices are now launched by 48 suppliers. Russia. In Australia. October 2008 Siminn. Asia Pacific.g. in progress. and 2100 MHz for capacity in urban areas. some operators also utilise the 1900 MHz band or a dual band 850/1900 MHz combination. which are commercially launched in Australia. Deployment of WCDMA-HSPA systems in the 900 MHz band requires regulatory approval in many countries where this band is reserved for GSM use. Optus uses the 900/2100 MHz combination. the Middle East and Africa. 2010 High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) alleviates uplink capacity bottlenecks. UMTS850 (UMTS = WCDMA/HSPA) Using lower frequencies. May 2008 Vodafone NZ launched UMTS900. allowing mobile broadband (e. Similar cost and coverage benefits apply to deployments in the 850 MHz band. Telstra launched the world’s biggest UMTS850 network in combination with 2100 MHz. the Americas. 14 UMTS900 (HSPA) commercial networks are launched: Elisa Finland launched the world’s first UMTS900 system on 8 November 2007 Elisa Estonia launched UMTS900. reduces latency. 2009 Aero2 launched UMTS900-HSPA+ in Poland on November 16. Australia launched UMTS900. increases data throughput. and improves the user experience of existing services while also enabling new services for increased user satisfaction. Telstra plans further evolution of the downlink to 42 Mbps in 2010.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.Optus.com/gsm_3g/dubai_2008. 32 HSPA+ devices have been launched by 11 suppliers. and 41 HSPA+ systems are commercially launched. TIM Italy launched the world’s first 28 Mbps peak downlink HSPA+ system with MIMO on July 17.8 Mbps during this year.php4 Further evolution of HSPA utilizing combinations of multi-carrier and MIMO technologies will soon reach 84 Mbps peak on the downlink.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.3G/WCDMA-HSPA. 2009. The presentations are available as follows: Cape Town presentations (November 2008): www. or by utilizing 64QAM and multicarrier in 10 MHz bandwidth. . 2010 UMTS900 Update: New Operator Insights .php4 UMTS900 operator case study .gsacom. and evolving to support peak DL data rates up to 42 Mbps in 2010 with the transmission of multiple parallel data streams to a single terminal using Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO). and 23 Mbps peak uplink.gsacom. the network supports a peak downlink data rate of 21 Mbps and a current uplink data rate of 5. Mobilkom Austria launched the first commercial HSPA+ system in Europe on March 23rd. Finland www. Further evolution beyond that is also foreseen in 3GPP standardization. 2009. The company has also evolved the uplink to support 5.Presentation by Dr Eetu Prieur.8 Mbps. Most HSPA+ operators position the typical user experience as being up to 8 Mbps.8 Mbps in some areas. 16 QAM modulation on the uplink instead of QPSK doubles the peak rate to 11. 2010) which can be viewed/download at www. Elisa Finland Available to view/download at www.gsacom. practical insights and regional perspectives on the benefits of deploying WCDMA-HSPA in 900MHz spectrum.php4 GSA co-hosted two UMTS900 workshops giving information. LTE Fact Sheet February 12.php4 UMTS900 operator case study – Elisa.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers. 36 HSPA+ systems now in commercial service support 64QAM-enabled 21 Mbps peak DL.5 Mbps. 2009. 80 operators have committed to HSPA+ network deployments. 2009. Australia www. rising to 23 Mbps with multicarrier. Using 64 QAM modulation. depending on device availability.com/gsm_3g/cape_town_2008. For more details see GSA report: Global HSPA+ Network Commitments and Deployments (February 4. 3GPP Release 8 realizes 42 Mbps by combining 2x2 MIMO and 64QAM in a 5 MHz carrier. This network also supports a peak downlink data rate of 21 Mbps and will be upgraded to 28. Release 9 combines multicarrier and MIMO in 10 MHz to reach 84 Mbps peak.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.php4 HSPA Evolution (HSPA+) HSPA Evolution (HSPA+) systems are market reality.php4 Dubai presentations (December 2008): www. The world’s first HSPA+ system was launched by Telstra in Australia on February 23rd. and 5 systems support 28 Mbps peak DL utilizing 16QAM with MIMO. Starhub launched Asia’s first HSPA+ system in Singapore on March 27th.gsacom. over 68% of HSPA network operator commitments have also committed to EDGE. 876 devices (51%) support 7.137 Launched in the Market (January 2010) 67% annual growth in the number of HSPA devices launched 897 mobile phones: 74. See GSA’ EDGE Fact Sheet (February 1. Peak implementation today 4 timeslots per user (standard enables up to 8 timeslots per user) Dual Carrier is the first step in evolving EDGE and will be available as a software upgrade.com/gsm_3g/info_papers.76 Mbps (vs.gsacom. There are 503 GSM/EDGE operator commitments in 195 countries.2 Mbps or higher (excl. notebooks). Several analysts forecast that the number of EDGE subscriptions will continue to rise for years to come. 2010) www. including 487 networks launched in 190 countries. The number of HSPA-enabled notebook products increased 51. i. The first commercial EDGE network was launched in June 2003. according to network and user device capabilities. is a mature global technology supported by a well -developed ecosystem.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers. bringing the promise of doubling today’s EDGE speeds to 592 kbps on existing EDGE -capable networks. 64 products in January 2009) 32 HSPA+ devices launched by 11 suppliers More information/analysis: HSPA Devices Survey Key Findings (January 26.e.gsacom.9 Mbps per user) Uplink speed up to 474 kbps per user (the standard enables up to 947 kbps per user). notebooks) 493 HSUPA devices: increase of 156% YoY 219 HSUPA devices (more than 44%) support or are upgradeable for 5.3G/WCDMA-HSPA. 2010) at www.8% in same period 1. Several network vendors have committed to delivering solutions.510 HSPA devices (88%) support 3. 2010 WCDMA/HSPA and GSM/EDGE combination GSM/EDGE.4 kbps per timeslot. EGPRS-2 is expected to arrive in the market in 2010.e. EDGE Evolution. with user data speeds up to 300 kbps. aims to achieve several benefits with low impact on the GSM/EDGE network. LTE Fact Sheet February 12.6 Mbps peak or higher (excl.1% increase YoY. delivering significant data traffic and revenue growth. EGPRS-2 UL (HUGE) level B with maximum 118.com/gsm_3g/info_papers. “Evolved GERAN” (GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network) i. as part of the Release 7 specifications which are now approved: Downlink speed up to 1. a software enhancement to GPRS networks. This strategy ensures that users receive a good experience of most 3G services. Most HSPA network operators deploy GSM/EDGE for service continuity.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/wcdma_databank.php4 Also see related GSA Information Paper “Dual Transfer Mode (DTM)” www. and commercial trials with operators are underway. and over 80% of GPRS operators have since committed to the EDGE enhancement. See GSA Information Paper “EDGE Evolution” www.php4 HSPA Devices: 2.php4 Evolved EDGE WCDMA evolution to HSPA is the key driver for improving GSM/EDGE to minimize the performance gap. 250 out of 364.2 Mbps per user initially (the standard enables up to 1. 80% of HSPA devices support EDGE.php4 . Dual Carrier is part of the 3GPP Release 7 standard. gsacom. who are expected to be in the forefront of service introduction.gsacom. GSA anticipates that 19 LTE networks will have entered commercial service by end 2010. LTE will further enhance more demanding applications such as interactive TV.gsacom. spectrum. When firm plans are known.com/news/gsa_288. using both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) modes. LTE is also the next generation mobile broadband system of choice of leading CDMA operators. LTE is on track. which is essential for addressing the mass market. Dozens of LTE technology trials are underway or planned in all regions and further commitment announcements are expected from those. LTE reduces the cost per Gigabyte delivered. they will be added in as new “commitments”. According to GSA research. 51 Operators committed to LTE (see press release www.php4 Global LTE commitments map (JPEG) www. Global LTE commitments map (PDF) www. mobile video blogging. LTE and HSPA are complementary to ensure seamless inter-operability. 2010 3GPP Long Term Evolution in Radio Access Networks – LTE 3GPP LTE is the next step for a superior mobile broadband experience. device. and harmonization with legacy 3GPP systems (GSM. advanced games and professional services.3G/WCDMA-HSPA.6 GHz and Digital Dividend bands.an increase of almost 100% over the previous 8 months . GPRS/EDGE. trials results. with the necessary network architecture and technology enhancements.com/gsm_3g/info_papers. Availability of new spectrum. LTE is also scalable to allow operation in a wide range of spectrum bandwidths. plans for future evolution of LTE for consideration for the ITU IMT-Advanced system are contained in GSA Information Paper: Evolution to LTE www. 2009 and ahead of schedule. over time. particularly in the 2. Infrastructure solutions shipping today typically offer an easy upgrade path to LTE. and is an evolution of the GSM/UMTS (comprising WCDMA. HSPA) systems family for the next generation mobile broadband access system. and will determine deployment and launch dates in those markets. Data rates will be significantly higher for downlink and uplink paths. 51 operators .com/downloads/pdf/lte_3gpp. whilst providing cost efficient ubiquitous mobile coverage. The new system includes support of a full IP-based network. GSA also believes that.php4 The status of LTE worldwide including network operator commitments. LTE radio technology is optimized to enhance networks by enabling significant new high capacity mobile broadband applications and services.4 – 20 MHz. is a crucial factor for LTE deployments in many countries.gsacom. WCDMA-HSPA) and other radio access technologies. platforms availability. as are the regulatory conditions.com/news/statistics.php4) LTE is the natural migration choice for GSM/HSPA operators. LTE will be the choice for many more operators and will be introduced according to business needs. deployment/launch plans.php4 . TeliaSonera launched the world’s first commercial LTE systems in Stockholm th and Oslo on December 15 . thus providing flexibility to suit any operator’s existing or future frequency allocation. attracting global industry support.have committed to deploy 3GPP LTE networks in 24 countries. from 1. LTE targets capacity and data rate enhancements to support new services and features requiring higher levels of capability and performance. LTE Fact Sheet February 12. 2010 LTE/SAE Trial Initiative (LSTI) Vendors and operators have joined forces under the LTE/SAE Trial Initiative to demonstrate the potential of LTE/SAE through joint tests.php4 . A Proof of Concept activity has consolidated measurements from leading equipment vendors to show that the industry's targets for performance are achievable: LTE/SAE does exactly what it says on the tin. and also help to validate the emerging LTE ecosystem. including radio performance. Results feed into technology developments and standardization. More information at www.3G/WCDMA-HSPA. field tests and full customer trials. interoperability. including devices and applications.com/gsm_3g/info_papers. including progress on the Proof of Concept Activity for LTE FDD and TD LTE modes and the key results obtained. Interoperability Testing (IOT) and preparations for the Friendly Customer Trials. help define/validate network launch plans. LTE Fact Sheet February 12.lstiforum. In addition to peak rates and minimum latency. View/download “Update from the LTE/SAE Trial Initiative” at www.gsacom. results also reveal the 'real world' performance that operators will be able to offer to end users.org A presentation is available on the GSA website providing an update of the work of the LSTI. etc. covering close to 100% of mobile market share.gsacom. for authoritative facts.com/groups?gid=2313721 Terms of Use: GSA makes considerable effort to ensure that the content is accurate. Site registration – for viewing/downloading documents. such content is provided without warranty in currentness. GSA is a 3GPP Market Representation Partner and co-operates with other key organisations worldwide. Industry professionals and organizations from 200+ countries regularly use www.gsacom. Briefings are given to media and analysts. For other use please contact the GSA Secretariat via email to info@gsacom. updates alerts. including the GSA Mobile Broadband Forum.gsacom. 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Reproduction of this material in part for non-commercial use is allowed if the source is stated.com . 2010 Download charts used in this Fact Sheet plus many more charts and maps at www.