Analysts Say Mobile Broadband Will Overtake Fixed Line Soon
A report published by analyst firm Frost and Sullivan says that the new generation of mobile broadband technologies like 3G LTE and WiMAX will surpass the usage levels reached by fixed line broadband.
The company predicts that by the year 2013, the number of 3G LTE users will rise to over 20 million. The current download levels by an average mobile broadband user have already hit the 5GB mark, which means that the users are downloading 6-14 times more data than they were doing a year back.
The report, titled “European Mobile Broadband Melee between 3G LTE and Mobile WiMAX”, does not take sides of either of the two rival technologies, LTE and WiMAX. However, it does say that in the future mobile broadband operators might be able to provide a kind of open access to subscribers that will allow them to access any network through any device, regardless of the underlying technology.
The report suggests that there is a need for mobile broadband service providers to restructure their tariff plans. Frost and Sullivan programme manager, Luke Thomas advocates dropping the flat fee model and adopting more attractive, innovative pricing models, which better suit the customers’ needs and allow differentiation from competitors (click for info on free laptop contracts). He says that the new pricing structures should be transparent and easily comprehensible for an average customer.
He also says that the service providers should put in better quality and process control methodologies so that the service levels improve and the technology reaches its full potential in providing the users with a hassle free browsing experience.
