Mobile broadband users superpass
Mobile broadband subscriptions are on track to surpass one billion in 2011, only months after reaching half a billion, highlighting a key growth driver for the telecom sector, according to a report published by Business Recorder.
Internet use on-the-go has soared in recent years, driven by cheap laptop computers, tablet computers such as Apple Inc's iPad, and smartphones such as the iPhone.
Growing data traffic has driven revenue for telecom operators and leading to increased investment in networks, and boosting revenues for gear suppliers like Ericsson.
Asia Pacific is expected to account for the greatest number of subscriptions, around 400 million, followed by North America and western Europe with more than 200 million each, Ericsson said.
The group said that in 2008, mobile internet subscribers totalled around 200 million. By 2015, Ericson believes mobile broadband subscriptions will top 3.8 billion, indicating the pace of growth is picking up.
The trend has already started boosting operators' revenues, Nordic telecom firms TeliaSonera, Telenor and Tele2 all pointed to rising smartphone and mobile internet use as the reason for the growth in earnings last year.
Network providers like Ericsson, Nokia, Siemens Networks and China's Huawei hope that the demand for online gaming, video dtreaming and watching TV will push operators to upgrade networks to boost capacity and speed.
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