The total number of TD-LTE subscribers around the world will keep increasing to 96.1 million at the end of 2014, accounting for 21.6% of the global total number of LTE (4G) users. 81.8% of the total will be users in China, 8% in Saudi Arabia and 6.9% in Japan, according to Digitimes Research.
Of the number of LTE networks around the world, 87% will be FDD LTE networks and 13% TD-LTE networks in 2014, Digitimes Research indicated.
Asia accounted for 43% of TD-LTE networks around the world as of the end of the third quarter of 2014, but for over 95% of the global TD-LTE subscribers due to China Mobile's active promotion of TD-LTE in the China market in 2014.
Unlike FDD LTE which is operated on a wide range of frequency bands, TD-LTE networks are operated mainly on medium and high frequency band units, with 900MHz and below taking up less than 10% of all band units.
Taiwan-based device makers will not benefit from the fast growing TD-LTE user base, with 2014 total production value of LTE data communication devices estimated at NT$5.53 billion (US$178 million), down 9.9% on year.