Written by Jennifer Kent, Research Analyst

With mobile data consumption just about doubling each year, carriers are rushing to deploy their next generation LTE networks. Seemingly every week, mobile operators from across the globe announce LTE network launches or extensions of LTE service to new markets. Verizon, the global leader in POPs covered, now offers LTE service in 371 U.S. markets with a goal to cover 400 by year-end. Carriers’ timetables are ambitious as they hope to stay ahead of the mobile data tsunami, but their ability to recoup the costs of their LTE roll-outs with new revenues is uncertain.

New data from Parks Associates offers carriers some good news, as our findings indicate consumers are beginning to value LTE service. In a consumer survey fielded this quarter, 50% of all smartphone users rated “access to 4G/LTE networks for fast data speeds” a “very important” factor when choosing a mobile service provider. Consumers ranked LTE service as more important that the types of handsets a provider makes available, but less important than service price, quality and coverage.

To monetize their LTE networks carriers need to capitalize on growing consumer awareness of LTE, experiment with new mobile data pricing plans and offer consumers new LTE-supported value-added services. I will discuss these and other carrier strategies related to LTE in my upcoming webcast, 4G/LTE: Operator Strategies and Consumer Perspectives, next Thursday August 30 from 1:00 – 2:15pm, CST.