A press release by 5G Americas summarizes recent deployment data for 4G LTE and 5G networks worldwide, including in North America. Although 5G deployment rightly deserves attention, 4G LTE mobile broadband networks still are still growing. According to 5G Americas, LTE represents 88% of mobile connections in North America as of June 2019, up 82% from the year before. The U.S. and Canada had 459 million LTE connections by the second quarter of this year. Additionally, "[t]he United States alone had 130 percent LTE market penetration in June – up from 126 percent in March." In addition to serving consumers, LTE networks provide low-powered Internet-of-Things connectivity for business enterprises. According to 5G Americas President Pearson: "LTE continues to increase the number of new connections while networks are continuously being enhanced with new technology… The innovative technologies which underpin 5G performance will also improve 4G LTE networks through the foreseeable future."
My Perspectives from FSF Scholars paper, "Resurgence in Broadband Deployment Vindicates FCC's Pro-Investment Policies," cited data points from several reports indicating that broadband, including mobile broadband, continues to be reasonably and timely deployed to all Americans. The early 2019 data cited by 5G Americas also appears to indicate a continuing positive deployment trajectory, as more Americans gain access to 4G LTE services, and at higher speeds. A projected surge in 5G connections will follow.
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