According to an IHS report, the percentage of users utilizing digital Licensed Mobile Radios (LMR) solutions in Asia will rise from 19% this year to 38% by 2017, which means that the share of analog LMR in the market will fall from 81% to 62%. This year alone, the installed base of digital LMR users in Asia will amount
According to an IHS report, the percentage of users utilizing digital Licensed Mobile Radios (LMR) solutions in Asia will rise from 19% this year to 38% by 2017, which means that the share of analog LMR in the market will fall from 81% to 62%. This year alone, the installed base of digital LMR users in Asia will amount to 3 million, up from 2.4 million in 2012.
While analog LMR gear continues to command the majority of users in the region, volume is trending downward. Active analog users by year-end will amount to 13.1 million, a decline from 13.4 million, on the way down to 10.7 million by 2017. By then, the rival digital LMR installed base will account for nearly 40% of total Asian LMR users of 17.4 million.
Law-enforcement members are the largest users in general of Licensed Mobile Radio (LMR) systems, which are also utilized by firefighters, emergency medical teams and private security groups. The advantages of using LMR technology to provide reliable mission-critical communication and to improve interagency cooperation feature heavily in government strategies—even if set-up and operations can vary significantly between countries.
Among digital LMR solutions, Tetra, P25 and Tetrapol had early success on the Asian continent, mostly in public safety and transportation applications.
Revenue in Asia for LMR terminals, infrastructure, accessories, and command and control will exceed $4.5 billion by 2017, representing notable growth opportunities for these industry areas during the next few years, IHS predicts.