Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are key
drivers in the increased uptake of mobile broadband across the
Irish Republic according to research commissioned by
O2.
According to Irish telecommunications regulator Comreg,
mobile broadband in Ireland has grown steadily over the last three
years and especially during the last twelve months to December
2008 when mobile broadband subscriptions increased by 142% compared
with the 2007 calendar year.
On a quarter-by-quarter basis,
mobile broadband in Ireland—via HSDPA, HSPA and 3G
networks—increased by 15% in Q408 compared with Q407. However the
40,204 new mobile broadband customers in the final quarter of 2008
represented a 13% dip compared with those reported in Q308.
In the midst of this general market growth, O2 announced that
the number of SMEs using its O2's mobile broadband service in the
Irish Republic had reached the 100,000 milestone.
According to research carried out on behalf of O2 by TNS mrbi,
the number of senior SME managers using mobile broadband jumped
from 12% in 2007’s survey to over a third (34%) by the end of 2008.
n 2008 O2 became the first mobile broadband provider in Ireland to
also roll out a high speed uplink packet access (HSUPA) service to
complement its HSDPA technology which it claims offers has 89%
coverage of the population of the Irish Republic.
Commented Jude Lynch, Business Sales Director, Telefónica O2
Ireland, said, "Our research clearly suggests that more and more
Irish SMEs are seeing
the benefits that mobile broadband can offer them in terms of
convenience, productivity, cost effectiveness and control. This is
mirrored in the growing popularity in general of mobile broadband
which continues to increase its share of the broadband market in
Ireland".