The study also reveals revenue from 4G services would expand by 35 per cent this year to $426 billion, and would represent 49 per cent of overall mobile revenue.
According to the research firm, 4G technology currently represents 25 per cent of mobile connections.
The study also predicts 4G revenue growth would be offset by a 21 per cent decline in 2G service revenue and a 19 per cent decline in 3G revenue this year.
Some of the most mature 4G markets by the end of this year would be South Korea, with 4G market share of 90 per cent, Japan at 82 per cent and North America with 79 per cent.
“The advanced markets of the USA, Japan and South Korea will see the vast majority of their revenue come from 4G LTE services this year, although China will also make a significant contribution,” said Phil Kendall, executive director of wireless operator strategies at Strategy Analytics.
“Overtaking the USA to become the world’s largest 4G market in Q3 2015, China is the envy of other developing markets with over half of its 2016 revenue projected to come from 4G LTE.”
Strategy Analytics also predicts there will be 116 million “5G” subscriptions in 2022, compared to nearly 2 million in 2020, the year in which the initial deployments of 5G technology are expected to occur.
