(Telecompaper) LTE gained 182 million connections in Q1, that's almost 4 times faster than 3G/HSPA systems, according to a report by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA). 3G/HSPA subscriptions grew by 48 million while GSM subscriptions fell by 120 million in the same quarter. The number of LTE and LTE-Advanced subscriptions is expected to pass the 3G/WCDMA-HSPA global total in 2020, and possibly sooner. Analysing mobile subscriptions data provided to GSA by Ovum for Q1, GSA said that the number of LTE and LTE-Advanced subscriptions reached 1.29 billion worldwide by 31 March. Over 645 million LTE subscriptions worldwide were gained during the past year, representing 100 percent annual growth.