UK operators have made "big strides" in improving LTE availability across the country, new research has found, as telcos made inroads in improving network quality.

Telia Company has become the latest operator to launch voice over LTE to its consumer customers in Sweden.

LTE will soon see greater usage in public safety networks, forecasts say, as technical advancements offer new capabilities.

Telia has achieved speeds of 757MBps on its 4G network in Sweden in a test with Ericsson.

The number of LTE subscriptions rose by 74 percent last year, reports suggest, as analysts project that over 50 percent of the world’s population will connect to 4G technology by 2022.

The number of LTE-Advanced Pro subscribers is set to soar to over 641 million by 2021, forecasts say, up from 16.5 million at the end of 2016.

The argument that 5G is over-hyped is becoming as prolific as the hype itself, but telcos do not seem to be taking heed, if this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) is anything to go by.

Telefónica has launched a mini autonomous LTE network to help rescue teams cope with disasters and retail businesses attract more customers.

The development of 4.5G technology in Belgium has been given a boost as major operators in the country announced roll-outs and trials.

The cellular IoT connectivity standard LTE-M is gaining traction at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, with new announcements from a host of telcos.

Telco operators, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, are being urged to prioritise LTE after it was revealed that it accounts for less than half of all global data roaming.

Vodafone and Samsonite are trialling a new luggage tracking solution based on NB-IoT technology.

Deutsche Telekom will launch narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) in eight European countries in 2017, it has confirmed, including extended rollout of the technology in its home market.

AT&T, Ericsson, Orange and Qualcomm have teamed up for the first live demonstration of gigabit LTE using License Assisted Access (LAA) technology, where licensed and unlicensed spectrum is combined to maximise LTE speeds and capacity.

Philips Lighting and Ericsson have teamed up to boost mobile broadband coverage in Europe with the launch of a new 4G-connected streetlight.

Vodafone Turkey has selected NEC to deploy small cells to key venues and business premises to boost its indoor LTE performance in the country.

Qualcomm has made its first successful connection on 5G New Radio (NR) as it unveiled a range of products and services.

EE has demonstrated the use of drone and balloon-based mobile sites to boost 4G mobile coverage.

UK consumers are using their 4G connections less than mobile users in other countries, in favour of Wi-Fi, according to new research.

Ericsson announced two trials using advanced LTE technology this week, showing the potential for operators’ existing networks in supporting the IoT and delivering higher speeds.