Market Trends

Ericsson Mobility Report: Global Smartphone Subscriptions to reach 5.6 billion by 2019

Stockholm, Sweden,  November 11, 2013--The latest Ericsson Mobility Report reveals that mobile subscriptions are expected to reach 9.3 billion by 2019, and more than 60 percent of these - 5.6 billion - will be for smartphones. To support the smartphone user experience, WCDMA/HSPA networks are predicted to cover 90 percent of the world's population by 2019. Moreover, almost two-thirds (65 percent) of the world's population will be covered by 4G/LTE networks.  

North American Households with 4K TVs Expected to Reach 10% by End of 2018

Scottsdale, Ariz., November 6, 2013--Asia-Pacific, notably, China, is expected to lead 4K (or Ultra HD) TV unit shipments. However, the North American market is anticipated to be the first region to eclipse 5% (in 2017) and 10% (by end of 2018) of TV households. Despite limited 4K content, declining 4K TV prices will facilitate the expansion of the installed base through normal upgrade cycles.

SCADA/M2M Growth Validates Enduring Role of Narrowband Satellite Systems

Wilmington, DE, November 5, 2013--NSR's new report  SCADA/M2M via Satellite, 4th Edition finds a steady market for narrowband systems despite the industry’s seeming shift into higher bandwidth solutions, specifically High Throughput Satellites (HTS). In 2012, revenues stood at $1.1 billion with narrowband systems accounting for 87% of the global total. By 2022, the market is expected to reach $2.0 billion with narrowband systems improving slightly, accounting for 88% of the revenue base.

OTT SVOD Revenues Set to Reach Nearly $8 Billion in 2017

Scottsdale, Ariz., November 5, 2013--MRG expects the OTT SVOD market to record significant growth worldwide in the coming years, reaching nearly US$8 billion on more than 120 million subscribers globally by 2017.

Gains in Asia and Latin America STB Markets Won’t Offset Declines in N. America, W. Europe

Campbell, Calif.,  November 1, 2013--Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2nd quarter 2013 (2Q13) Set-Top Boxes and Pay TV Subscribers market share and forecast report, which tracks IP, cable, satellite, and digital terrestrial (DTT) set-top boxes (STBs) and over-the-top (OTT) media servers.

Smartphone Shipments Reach a Record 250 mil. in Q3 2013

Hampshire, UK, October 29,  2013--Leading hi-tech mobile analysts Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments exceeded a quarterly record of 250 million in Q3 2013, representing a y-o-y growth of almost 49% from Q3 2012, and q-o-q growth of 10%. Samsung now accounts for a third of all smartphones shipped with an estimated 85 million smartphones – a record for the company. The company reported a 26% growth in profit, driven by an increase of smartphone sales in both Premium and Economy segments.

Survey Shows that 3/4 of U.S. Consumers not Planning to Buy Smart TVs


El Segundo, Calif. (Oct. 28, 2013)—The bad news for the television market is that nearly three-quarters of U.S. consumers are not interested in buying a smart TV during the next 12 months, according to the results of a new survey conducted by the TV Systems Intelligence Service at IHS Inc.. The good news is that demand rises markedly when consumers are aware of what smart TVs are, showing that the product’s chances of success can improve with just a little market education.

WTA Announces New Teleport Business Benchmarks Study

New York City, October 17, 2013 – The World Teleport Association (WTA) today announced a new research initiative, Teleport Business Benchmarks. This new study seeks to develop a set of industry-wide financial and operating ratios for independent commercial teleport operations. 

Ovum Forecasts Mobile Operators Will Face Global Revenue Decline by 2018

London, UK, October 10, 2013 – The golden age of telecoms growth and prosperity is waning, according to Ovum. New research from the global analyst firm predicts that global connections will grow by a CAGR of less than 4 percent between 2012 and 2018, while global revenues will grow at less than half that rate. As growth slows and ARPU continues to decline, operators will need to find new ways to serve customers more profitably, not just focus on increasing subscriber numbers, says Ovum.

Installed Base of Internet-Connected Video Devices to Reach 8 Billion by 2017

El Segundo, Calif., Oct. 8, 2013—More than 8 billion Internet-connected video devices will be installed worldwide in 2017, exceeding the population of the planet, according to research from  the Broadband Technology Service at IHS Inc.