Research by Berg Insight found that HSPA accounted for 11.6% of the total number of broadband connections in Europe at the end of 2008.
The number of HSPA/LTE mobile broadband subscribers (connected PCs) grew by 74% year-on-year in 2008 to reach 14.6 million and is forecasted to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% to 70 million in 2014.
The North American market has evolved at a slower pace, with mobile broadband accounting for just 4.5% of the total number of connections. Between 2008 and 2014, the North American market is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43% to reach 35 million subscribers at the end of the period.
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.
Tomorrow’s broadband service providers will have to offer their subscribers multiple access methods. LTE will become the technology of choice outside of the home, while bandwidth-hungry applications such as IPTV still require fixed broadband due to the restricted capacity in mobile networks caused by limited availability of frequencies.
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.
www.berginsight.com
