London, UK - 21st February, 2013. GCF, the Global Certification Forum, today reported that LTE device certifications increased more than seven-fold in 2012: of the total of 430 devices certified during last year, 66 incorporated LTE, up from nine in 2011. The proportion of GCF-Certified devices incorporating LTE increased from two per cent in 2011 to 15 per cent in 2012.

The trend towards more highly integrated multi-mode, multi-band devices gathered pace and is even gaining momentum in LTE devices: of the 65 device incorporating FDD LTE, 32 (49 per cent) incorporated two or more FDD LTE bands.

The second annual Mobile Device Trends report is based on an analysis of device certifications published by the Global Certification Forum during 2012. GCF Certification helps ensure global interoperability between mobile devices and networks and underpins international roaming services.

Highlighting the importance of data capability, 3G was a feature of 362, or 84 per cent, of the 430 devices certified in 2012. Only 67 per cent of 2011 certified devices incorporated 3G.

Penetration of HSDPA also rose significantly - from 64 per cent of certified devices in 2011 to 83 per cent in 2012. Enhanced Uplink (HSUPA) was a feature of two-thirds of 2012 certified devices compared with just under half the year before.

While GSM featured in 97 per cent of devices, the penetration of EDGE increased from 35 per cent of all devices in 2011 to 82 per cent in 2012.

“GCF’s 2012 certification figures suggest that highly integrated multi-band, multi-mode wireless components are allowing device manufacturers to improve economies of scale by focusing development on devices that can be marketed across multiple territories,” said Adriana Nugter, Operations Manger, GCF. “The Mobile Device Trends 2012 report also highlights how rapidly LTE is maturing as a wireless technology.”

Modules, which are a fundamental building block for a wide variety of interoperable industrial, consumer, business and M2M devices accounted for one in eight of devices certified in 2012.

Copies of the Mobile Device Trends 2012 report are available from the GCF booth, 7B.62, at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, 25-28 February 2013.

Media Contact:
Ian Volans
press[at]globalcertificationforum[dot]org
+44 7956 505 690

Distributed on behalf of Global Certification Forum (GCF) Ltd by NeonDrum news distribution service (http://www.neondrum.com)

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