Ericsson’s share of the total network equipment market fell to 24 per cent in 2012 from 27 per cent the year earlier, according to preliminary data released by the company.

The cause was a decline in the mobile equipment market where its share fell from 38 per cent to 35 per cent, said Ericsson.

The company was “negatively impacted by the ongoing technology shift in China where investments are moving from GSM to other technology areas where Ericsson has limited presence”, it said.

Ericsson’s definition of network equipment includes the segments of Radio, IP, Transport and Core. The company widened its definition in 2011 to reflect its R&D investments in recent years.

The company had better news from other parts of its business. It maintained a 40 per cent share of the global installed base of radio base stations.  And its share of the LTE market is claimed to be twice as big as its nearest rival (measured in full-year 2012 shipments). It purports to be the world’s leading supplier in LTE technology.

Moreover, Ericsson increased its share of the telecoms services market to 13 per cent, putting it ahead of any rivals in what is a fragmented market. Plus the January 2012 acquisiton of Telcordia means Ericsson claims a leading position in the OSS and BSS market.

The company published the market share data along with its annual report for 2012.