The passive tower infrastructure of telecom operators and infrastructure service providers has continued to accelerate, as the demand to support network infrastructure is boosted by a growing subscriber base and expansion of geographical presence by telecom service providers (TSPs). South Asia, with its low telecom penetration, will lead the growth in the South Asia and Middle East (SAME) region.

Tower growth in Bangladesh, India and Egypt will be rapid due to the rising number of subscribers and need for greater geographic coverage. However, tower growth in the Sri Lankan, Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates (UAE) markets will be at a steady level for the next 2-3 years, as operators are planning to invest in infrastructure for technology upgrades and attempting to expand coverage in new geographic areas.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the passive tower infrastructure market is expected to grow steadily in the markets of India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Sri Lanka and Egypt. This growth will be driven by the rapid expansion of the subscriber base in South Asian countries and the growing geographical presence of TSPs in the Middle East.

"An increasing subscriber base and the expanding geographical footprint of operators in South Asian countries will drive the installation of towers in the region," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Manish Dixit. "The entry of new operators and technological upgrades from 2G/3G networks will boost the deployment of additional towers in mature markets such as Saudi Arabia and UAE."

The steady rise in subscriber