Devices key to mobile broadband development

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.