The 1,800-MHz is now the most widely used band for 4G/LTE systems deployments worldwide, says the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).
According to GSA, over 37% of 113 commercial LTE networks which had launched service by last November are operating on the 1,800-MHz band.
A total of 42 operators have commercially launched LTE1800 either as a single band system, or as part of a multi-band deployment, the industry body notes.
The second most popular band in which LTE systems are deployed is 2.6-GHz, followed by 700-MHz.
GSA said commercial LTE1800 services are available in 29 countries, including six Asian countries - Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea.
In most cases, GSA adds, the 1800-MHz spectrum has been refarmed from its original use as a 2G/GSM band, as a result of the technology-neutral licensing environments which have developed as regulators in all regions responded to the need for more spectrum for mobile broadband services.
On the device side, a GSA survey reveals that 560 LTE user devices had been announced as of November 12, of which 130 products (almost 1 in 4) support the 1800 MHz band (LTE1800).
GSA says several more operators will launch LTE services in 1800 MHz spectrum in the near future. Licenses to deploy services at 1800 MHz have been awarded to an estimated over 350 operators worldwide, in nearly 150 countries.