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The number of mobile broadband connections globally has risen tenfold over the last year, in the first sign the industry is achieving the uptake it has long hoped-for. The GSM Association, the global trade body for mobile operators, yesterday counted its 32-millionth mobile broadband connection, up from 3million in March last year. Operators that upgraded their 3G networks with HSPDA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) technology to take advantage of new user-friendly handsets fuelled the uptake. Coinciding with the launch of USB modems, and faster speeds at more affordable prices, these factors help explain why the mobile broadband market has doubled its size since 2007. Between May 2007 and March 2008, the number of networks offering commercial broadband has risen from 96 networks, to 166 networks in more than 70 countries around the world. Although a plentiful supply of new advanced HSPA handsets has inspired operators to act, they are also been drawn by the big revenues to be had in mobile gaming and advertising. Others operators have received more incentives from their national governments to roll out country-wide mobile broadband, even though adoption is limited where PC penetration is low. Asian, Australian, European and North American operators all report greater uptake of HSPA handsets, which enable users to access websites at speeds ranging from 1.8Mbps to 7.2Mbps. “The uptake of mobile services such as music and video downloads as well as Internet access is rising in many countries as users are experiencing the benefits of high-speed Mobile Broadband,” said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA. The market change is well-illustrated by T-Mobile’s offering: under its Web ‘n’ Walk package users got 1GB of data for £29 – the monthly price is still the same but for treble the allowance. Similarly, Vodafone recently sweetened its 3GB offering by cutting in half its monthly price tag to £15, and complemented it with download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps. By throwing in equipment and limited free line rental on longer contracts, the company has also broadened its commercial offering, which offers users 5GB of storage. The GSMA said that over the past 16 months, there has been a sharp increase in the number of commercially available HSPA-enabled devices, such as handsets, data cards, wireless routers and pocket PCs. It estimated that there are 467 different devices available today, up from 128 on the market in January 2007, causing a price drop for consumers and businesses alike. In addition, companies like Dell, Acer and Sony have begun selling laptops with a slot for a standard HSDPA 3G Sim card. “As a new wireless broadband carrier, we evaluated HSPA and WiMax carefully,” said Ed Evans, the chief executive of Stelera Wireless. “The wide availability of HSPA network infrastructure and consumer devices today drove our technology selection. We believe the GSM carriers will continue to advance HSPA and keep us in front of other competing technologies. “Our analysis indicated that WiMax just wasn’t ready and vendor choices were very limited at this time.” Figures from the association show that last year there were just three countries providing businesses with mobile broadband access, now there are 73. It reflected: “We are witnessing the creation of a virtuous circle in which mobile broadband is achieving greater and greater economies of scale, driving down the cost of handsets and equipment and enabling more and more people to enjoy easy access to media-rich services over the air.” Apr 8, 2008 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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