EDGE and HSPA/HSPA+ Holding Steady in Face of LTE Blitz – New Infonetics IP RAN Study

The drive to reduce costs and increase operational and energy efficiency is leading more operators to deploy a single IP RAN, reports Infonetics Research. (Graphic: Infonetics Research)

CAMPBELL, Calif.--()--Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its IP RAN and 3GPP Strategies and Vendor Leadership: Global Service Provider Survey, which analyzes how and why mobile operators plan to get as much out of their existing 3GPP network assets as possible through evolutionary steps, versus jumping straight to LTE.

ANALYST NOTE

“EDGE and HSPA/HSPA+ have a long tail and remain strong despite the onslaught of LTE deployments. However, some of the HSPA+ traction we saw among mobile operators last year is diminishing because of the current move to LTE, which we qualify as the second wave of rollouts characterized by hundreds of small footprints,” notes Stéphane Téral, principal analyst for mobile infrastructure and carrier economics at Infonetics Research.

“Because those LTE rollouts are not overlay networks, most will still require serious HSPA+ upgrades to maintain user experience when falling off LTE coverage,” Téral adds.

IP RAN AND 3GPP SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Operators participating in Infonetics’ study say there are no major business or technical challenges impairing IP RAN and 3GPP network evolution
  • Nearly three-fourths of respondents are running EDGE networks to enable new services and enhance user experience; those who don’t have EDGE don’t see the need for it
  • Support for Evolved EDGE continues to erode: A large majority of survey respondents have no plans to deploy it
  • 63% of those surveyed have a single IP RAN up and running, with cost reduction and greater operational and energy efficiency as the top deployment drivers
  • The move to higher iterations of HSPA+ such as Rel. 9, 10, and 11 is widespread
  • The top 3 RAN equipment suppliers as perceived by respondents are, in rank order, Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia

WEBINAR: DAS, SMALL CELLS, AND WIFI

Join analyst Stéphane Téral June 5 at noon EDT for How to Get the Best Out of DAS, Small Cells, and WiFi, which analyzes the future of distributed antenna systems (DAS) and their relationship to small cells, remote radio heads (RRHs), and WiFi. Attend live or access the replay: http://w.on24.com/r.htm?e=783410&s=1&k=CD70E2F6D98C3E67A3B5A1936E23DB13.

ABOUT INFONETICS’ IP RAN STUDY

For its 30-page IP RAN and 3GPP survey, Infonetics interviewed independent wireless, incumbent, and competitive operators in EMEA, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America that operate 3GPP networks. The report reveals operators’ plans for EDGE, Evolved EDGE, HSPA, HSPA+, voice over HSPA (VoHSPA), and IP RAN, including drivers, barriers, business and technical challenges, and their perceptions and ratings of RAN vendors. To buy the report, contact Infonetics: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.

RELATED REPORT EXCERPTS

RECENT AND UPCOMING MARKET FORECASTS

Download Infonetics’ 2014 market research brochure, publication calendar, events brochure, report highlights, tables of contents, and more at http://www.infonetics.com/login.

INFONETICS WEBINARS

Visit https://www.infonetics.com/infonetics-events to register for upcoming webinars, view recent webinars on demand, or learn about sponsoring a webinar.

  • The Role of Service Delivery Platforms in M2M & IoT (May 20: Attend)
  • Unlocking Revenues with Carrier Ethernet 2.0 Wholesale E-Access (May 29: Attend)
  • How to Get the Best Out of DAS, Small Cells & WiFi (June 5: Attend)
  • Security at the Speed of VoLTE (View on-demand)
  • Service Provider Outsourcing: How Far Will it Go? (July 8: Sponsor)
  • Mobile Network Optimization: What's Left? (Sep. 11: Sponsor)

TO BUY REPORTS, CONTACT:

N. America (West), Asia Pacific: Larry Howard, larry@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3335

N. America (East, Midwest), L. America: Scott Coyne, scott@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3395

EMEA, India, Singapore: George Stojsavljevic, george@infonetics.com, +44-755-488-1623

Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp

ABOUT INFONETICS

Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete effectively. View Infonetics’ About Us slides at http://bit.ly/QUrbrV.

Contacts

Infonetics Research
Stéphane Téral, +1-408-583-3371
Principal Analyst, Mobile Infrastructure and Carrier Economics
stephane@infonetics.com

Release Summary

Excerpts from Infonetics' IP RAN and 3GPP Strategies and Vendor Leadership survey. Analyzes how and why mobile operators plan to get as much out of their existing 3GPP network assets as possible.

Contacts

Infonetics Research
Stéphane Téral, +1-408-583-3371
Principal Analyst, Mobile Infrastructure and Carrier Economics
stephane@infonetics.com