In what is a clear indication of the willingness of a
keen user base to adopt high speed mobile broadband technology, new
research from the telecommunications analyst firm Berg Insight has
revealed that
High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) accounted for 11.6% of the
total number of broadband connections in Europe at the end of
2008.
Berg Insight predicts that
mobile broadband will become a standard feature in portable PCs
which will have integrated wireless modems, enabling them to
connect to the best available network. Its research showed that the
number of
HSPA/LTE-based mobile broadband subscribers to connected PCs
grew by 74% year-on-year in 2008 to reach 14.6 million.
Furthermore, Berg expects the technolgy’s adoption to continue to
grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% to lead to 70
million subscribers by 2014.
“Tomorrow’s broadband service providers will have to offer their
subscribers multiple access methods”, commented Marcus Persson,
Telecom Analyst, Berg Insight.
In terms of adoption in specific geographical areas, Berg says
that the North American market evolved at a slower pace, with
mobile broadband accounting for just 4.5% of the total number of
connections. Between 2008 and 2014, Berg forecast the North
American market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of
43% to reach 35 million subscribers at the end of the period.
“We believe that LTE will prevail as the main wireless
technology also in North America. The idea to construct another
nationwide network in the US based on any alternative technology
does not seem credible in the current financial climate”, Persson
added.