A 16-strong consortium based around leading IT and
mobile companies is to create a new category of mobile broadband
devices which are claimed to deliver a compelling
alternative to Wi-Fi.
The initiative is backed by Dell, Ericsson, Lenovo, Microsoft,
Orange, T-Mobile, Toshiba and Vodafone among others and is being
led by the GSMA. The mobile communications trade body believes that
its actions will enable operators to address what it believes is a
US$50 billion
opportunity in both mature and emerging markets.
In the first phase of the initiative, mobile operators, PC
manufacturers and chipset providers are uniting to pre-install
mobile broadband into a range of notebook PCs that will be
ready to connect to mobile broadband out of the box in 91 countries
across the world.
To help purchasers identify such ‘ready to run’ mobile broadband
devices, the GSMA has created a Mobile Broadband service mark. It
claims that the Mobile Broadband service mark will be backed by a
global media spend of more than US$1 billion in the next year.
“Mobile Broadband is like a home or office broadband connection
with one crucial difference: freedom. Freedom from hot spots,
freedom from complexity and freedom from security concerns,”
explained Michael O’Hara, CMO of the GSMA. “Today, 16 of the
world’s largest technology companies have committed to change the
way people get online forever. This commitment is manifested in a
service mark that we expect to see on several hundred thousand
notebooks in the shops by the holiday season. The Mobile Broadband
badge will assure consumers that the devices they buy will always
connect – wherever Mobile Broadband is available – and that they
can expect a high standard of simplicity and mobility.”
The Mobile Broadband initiative has been described as’ timely’
and ‘liberating by intdustry analyst IDC. Commented Shiv K.
Bakhshi, Ph.D., IDC director of mobility research. "While there
will always be a place for Wi-Fi connectivity, the great merit of
Mobile Broadband might be that it liberates the user from the
spatial tyranny of the so-called 'hotspot.' A Mobile Broadband
solution, informed by close collaboration between PC makers,
chipset vendors and mobile operators, should focus on appropriate
optimisation of the services and superior performance on the
device, and consequently, a better user experience."