The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) identified 637 different HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) devices on the market, which allow mobile broadband access at speeds of up to 7.2Mb, while the number of suppliers also rose to 110 from 62 a year ago.
And it’s not just USB modems - or dongles as they’re known, mobile phones and data cards that can be used to access the internet on the go, the GSA also found notebooks, wireless routers and personal media players all with HSPA connectivity, and even one camera.
At the same time, mobile broadband provider Three (www.Three.co.uk) announced a 700 per cent increase in data traffic since launching its cheap dongles and tariffs last October, reported The Register.
Average data throughput on Three’s network increased from 200Mb at launch, to more than 1,400Mb by February 2008.
It’s cheapest package, which forced rivals T-Mobile (www.T-Mobile.co.uk) and Vodafone (www.Vodafone.co.uk) to launch similar packages, is the pay-as-you-go Add Broadband Lite package, with a 1GB download allowance costing £10 a month. It has also reduced the price of its dongle for pay-as-you-go customers for a limited time to £69.99.
However, Kevin Russell, Three CEO, told The Register that although it had produced 500,000 customers “from nowhere”, mobile broadband wouldn’t be displacing fixed line connections any time soon - seeing it as an entirely “new marketplace” instead.
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “Although mobile broadband has seen massive growth over the past year, with prices dropping considerably, data allowances are still too low and costs if you exceed your limit still too high for most people to consider ditching their home broadband connection completely.
“However, mobile broadband - especially the pay-as-you-go options like Three’s add-on packages - are great for people who want internet on the go, but don’t want to commit to lengthy 18 or 24 month contracts that could force them to choose between going mobile or keeping their home connection.”
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