One in five mobile broadband subscribers in the world will be using 4G connections by 2017 as the number of global mobile broadband connections increase.

At present 4G connections are used by one in 25 mobile broadband subscribers.

Connections are predicted to increase in number by 26 percent over the next five years, with numbers reaching over five billion by 2017, according to figures in a report by GSMA.

Data usage is also expected to rise, multiplying by over 10 times the levels reported in 2012, with data predominantly relating to social media activity.