Total mobile infrastructure market up 15 percent YoY

REDWOOD CITY, USA: Recently published reports by Dell'Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the networking and telecommunications industries, show that 44 percent of third-quarter annual growth in the total Mobile Infrastructure market resulted from 4G LTE network infrastructure spending.

The total mobile infrastructure market, covered by Dell'Oro Group in four primary reporting segments, Mobile Radio Access Network (RAN), Wireless Packet Core (WPC), Wireless Voice Core, and Microwave Transmission, grew year-over-year in double digits for the fourth consecutive quarter in 3Q11. During the same quarter, the LTE market achieved several milestones, including the following:

* 4G LTE RAN posted fastest sequential growth rate ever at 68 percent.
* Significant VoLTE revenues were recognized for the first time ever.
* Evolved Packet Core captured highest portion ever of total Wireless Packet Core revenues at nearly 5 percent.
* Packet Microwave grew in double-digits for second consecutive quarter to record revenue.
* Edge router and switch sales for backhaul capacity upgrades grew almost 40 percent year-to-date.

"Nearly half of the revenue growth in total mobility infrastructure for the third quarter resulted from LTE spending to cope with an expected influx of LTE capable handsets in 2012," said Stefan Pongratz, Analyst at Dell'Oro Group.

"The wireless industry is responding to changes in user behavior and accelerating data demand by shifting priorities towards Evolved Packet Core (EPC), Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) and LTE radio equipment," added Chris DePuy, Analyst at Dell'Oro Group. "This urgency in spending is creating both opportunities and threats to existing and new
equipment vendors."

Dell'Oro Group's 3Q11 reports show that Ericsson's four quarter trailing revenue market share in mobile RAN, WPC, wireless voice core, and microwave transmission increased by four percentage points over the same quarter last year, while Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei each captured about 18 percent of the market.