The once foggy concept of 3G mobile data speeds was thrust into the spotlight with the advent of the iPhone. Apple had ascribed new potential to mobile devices, and other handset manufacturers were quick to follow. The fast, smooth user experience that had been synonymous with desktop computers and fixed broadband was suddenly available to mobile phone users alike.
Surging demand for video content, LBS, mobile VoIP, automotive connectivity, and higher-capacity consumer broadband is pressing service providers to update their networks. With global smartphone sales poised to pass feature phones, and the tablet market showing no signs of slowing, mobile broadband has become more necessity than luxury.
With developed markets reaching mobile broadband penetration rates of 75% and above, we believe the largest growth sector for mobile broadband is in the emerging markets. Nations such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and Russia have large populations, mushrooming E-literacy, and thus far lower mobile broadband penetration. We forecast these national markets to represent a considerable share of both global smartphone shipments and global mobile broadband revenue by 2018.
Meanwhile, network operators in developing markets are looking to LTE as a golden goose. 4G downlink speeds exceeding 150 Mbps will translate to a bevy of over-the-top services, as well as delivering a premium quality to existing services. Rapid deployment strategies will encourage competition and churn in these markets, as incumbents seek to entrench loyalty in a generation of increasingly fickle consumers.
Simultaneously, world markets are trending towards convergence and multi-play services, and network operators will be forced to rapidly adhere to a connected device paradigm. For equipment vendors and operators alike, maintaining agility, QoS, and managing the integration of legacy architecture into next-generation networks will draw the line between sink and swim.
The Global Mobile Broadband Market 2013-2018: Driving Super-fast Connectivity in the 4G/LTE Era forecasts the performance of mobile broadband across the world’s economies. Within the 145 page report, 89 unique charts, figures, and tables quantify mobile broadband revenue and subscriptions in 5 world regions and 13 leading national markets. The report explores the products and strategies of 15 leading vendors of mobile broadband services and equipment. These company profiles offer insight into the most competitive portfolios on the mobile broadband market, and a portrait of the technologies that will dominate the immediate future of mobile connectivity. To this end, we have also included 2 exclusive interviews with experts in the mobile broadband field; Qualcomm and 4G Americas yielding additional insight into trends that will shape and change its course.
The Global Mobile Broadband Market 2013-2018: Driving Super-fast Connectivity in the 4G/LTE Era will be of value to current and future investors in the telecommunications and mobile device industries, as well as companies and research centres who wish to broaden their knowledge on this subject.