Verizon Wireless introduced LTE enhanced to the US on December 6^th 2010 and in China TD-LTE will be launched in 2011, followed by more LTE deployments and trials elsewhere.

Philip Solis of ABI Research said that in the US in particular, 4G networks are growing fast and being increasingly adopted by subscribers.  There are also indications that in developing countries of Africa and Asia the 3G technology may be bypassed completely and 4G coverage adopted directly. 

International interest in TD-LTE is growing, with Reliance Industries in India and Softbank in Japan, as well as ST-Ericsson and China Mobile, conducting extensive trials.  In Poland, Mobyland has recently launched the first LTE network that uses the 1.8GHz part of the 4G wireless spectrum rather than the 2.5 and 3.5GHz ranges.  This is a sure indication that the spectrum can be adapted to improve efficiency.

WiMAX now has a larger footprint in geographical terms, but this looks set to change in the coming years if the number of LTE trial announcements across the globe is anything to go by.  LTE technology continues to gather momentum, although all such rollouts tend to be slow for a number of reasons.  Relatively expensive price plans mean that the take-up rate amongst consumers tends to be slow, and the shortage of handheld devices, equipment, and funding also slows the process down.  On the up side for providers is their ability to utilise existing subscriber bases, and towers that allow for more rapid implementation of LTE when compared with WiMAX deployment.