The predicted successful growth in mobile broadband will only
come about by plugging the gap between users, infrastructure and
devices according to
a report by In-Stat
The market research firm positions devices as sitting in the
middle of the relationship between the user and the network,
shaping how those two interact. It cites the example of femtocells
which it believes will create new service opportunities for
carriers that will help them win new subscribers. What is going on
at the device level for 3G and
WiMAX plays a major role in the type of services consumers will
see in the future, In-Stat suggests.
"Two of the biggest device trends in the cellular industry are
dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi phones and femtocells," says Daryl
Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. "This trend can change how operators
sell both voice and data services."
The report predicts that the impact of dual-mode Wi-Fi cellular
handsets will be greater on data than voice and that growth in
WiBRO services will take off as device choices increase and that
Wi-Fi will become pervasive across all categories.