Author

Biography for Keith Mallinson

Keith Mallinson is a leading industry expert, analyst and consultant. Solving business problems in wireless and mobile communications, he founded consulting firm WiseHarbor in 2007. WiseHarbor publishes an Extended Mobile Broadband Forecast. This includes network equipment, devices and carrier services to 2025. Further details are available at: http://www.wiseharbor.com/forecast.html.

Articles by Keith Mallinson

Mallinson: It's time to flip the pricing models for voice and data

Flipping the way mobile voice and data are priced is a bold and yet essential move. Mobile operators can now benefit from and embrace increasing use of all kinds of in-house and OTT services and applications.

Mallinson: Spectrum auctions need to generate investment, not just government revenue

The trick in auction design is to encourage sufficient competition among bidders while also ensuring that there are adequate incentives for the operators and their financial backers to build out networks rapidly and on a widespread basis.

Mallinson: Mobile broadband - thrice as much at half the price

Charging a premium for LTE, as EE is currently doing, is unsustainable. Instead; stoking mobile broadband demand with lower and lower-priced LTE is most essential.

Mallinson: The future for multinational wireless operators

What sprawling multinationals including Vodafone, Telefónica (including O2), Orange and T-Mobile need most is to bulk up in selected nations where they already have market leadership and exit where market shares are relatively small. It is far better to be No. 1 or 2 in a few places than No. 3 or worse in many places.

Mallinson: No signs of collateral damage in smartphone patent wars

No market is more successful, and yet also based on standards-essential patents and other patented technologies, than that for these smart devices. You'll find no evidence of stifled innovation or market blocking in smart devices under the Christmas tree this year.

Mallinson: Spectrum refarming needs to be coordinated across borders

It is not sufficient to refarm spectrum from broadcasting and other uses to cellular on a purely national basis. Global or at least regional coordination and harmonisation of spectrum band allocations are needed to minimise cross-border radio interference, maximise economies of scale for devices and facilitate roaming.

Mallinson: Innovation, competition and choice flourishing with mobile standard patents

Theories of harm arising from recent disputes with standards-essential patents (SEPs) are poorly substantiated and contradicted by market facts and figures.

Mallinson: Consumer interests should trump fairness in UK LTE launch

Next-generation network deployments are urgently needed from all operators to increase overall capacity as well as speeds. While EE should not be held back in launching LTE, all impediments must be removed to ensure all other operators can also do so as soon as possible.

Mallinson: Will the UK get it right with broadband deployment?

Broadband needs to be brought to everybody, almost everywhere they go. This includes at home, at work and on the move with mobile devices. What we need most from policy makers is that they ensure minimally acceptable broadband speeds and service levels to virtually everybody, no matter where they are or what devices they choose to use.

Mallinson: Spectrum licensing remains the key to LTE deployment

Spectrum licensing should incentivise LTE rollouts with the kinds of deployment obligations used in Germany and Russia, and enforcement including significant penalties for breaching those conditions, rather simply seeking to maximise financial proceeds in auction.