Casting the Mobile Net: The Net Goes Mobile
When it comes to new high speed Internet access these days, America's first choice is clear: Wireless
By: Jom Ross
There was a time when high-speed Internet access was a luxury. But the dial-up days are long gone, and broadband is clearly a necessity. At the same time, consumers today are more mobile then ever - and they demand access to high-speed Internet wherever they are.
Considering those technological and market forces, it comes as no surprise that more and more people are getting broadband, and that more and more of them are choosing mobile wireless connections instead of DSL, cable modems, or other methods.
This stark trend has been building in recent years, and the evidence stands out in great detail in the FCC’s most recent statistical report, which came out in October.
Between December 2005 and December 2006, the overall number of high-speed lines soared 61 percent, from 51.2 million to 82.5 million. (For perspective, consider that at the end of 2000 the number of lines stood at only 6.8 million.)
Of those new lines put in between 2005 and 2006, 60 percent (18.8 million) were mobile wireless subscriptions. Only 5.9 million new ADSL lines went in, and only 5.5 million for cable modem.
Because of this incredible year-over-year growth for mobile wireless, ADSL’s total share of broadband lines dropped 7 percentage points to 31 percent, while cable modem’s share sank from 56 percent to 39 percent.
Mobile wireless? Its share soared from 1 percent to 27 percent in just 18 months — and it’s still growing.
According to Bob Roche, Vice President, Research, at CTIA-The Wireless Association®, “Wireless companies are investing billions in upgrading their networks, deploying new capabilities, and trying to anticipate and meet consumers’ interests in data on the go — including growing mobile video and social networking applications. In fact, wireless companies are boosting both download and upload speeds to rival and exceed DSL speeds.
It comes as no surprise that more and more people are getting broadband, and that more and more of them are choosing mobile wireless connections instead of DSL, cable modems or other methods.