(Telecompaper) Telecom network operators are projected to increase their equipment expenditure by 2.3 percent to EUR 79 billion this year after falling by 6.6 percent to USD 77.3 billion in 2012, Gartner told Reuters. The growth will be led by operators in the US, Asia and Brazil stepping up their investment in 4G networks. Ericssson and Huawei are expected to stay ahead of the pack, while Nortel Siemens Networks is seen as improving after its restructuring and Alcatel-Lucent still struggling. European operators are expected to continue to be prudent with investment this year, with the market stagnating this year, due to the region's debt crisis and economic problems, Gartner analyst Deborah Kish said. The Americas region is forecast to grow by 4 percent and Asia excluding Japan by 3.6 percent this year. Infonetics recently said it anticipates up to 13 percent telecom network equipment market growth this year after a flat 2012.