UMTS: Alive and Well - 4G Americas

There were more than 450 million mobile Internet users reported worldwide in 2009; a numberthat is expected to more than double by the end of 2013, according to IDC’s Worldwide DigitalMarketplace Model and Forecast. Driven by the popularity and affordability of mobile phones,smartphones and other wireless devices, the number of mobile devices accessing the Internet isexpected to surpass the1 billion mark over the next three years, IDC predicts. 45Figure 4.3. Potential Growth in Data Traffic from a Single Mobile Subscriber.Although the market was seeing the introduction of HSPA+ devices in 2009, the predictions werealready being made by analysts regarding LTE devices in the market. Analyst firm ForwardConcepts expects that in 2013, LTE handsets will reach 56 million in 2013. 46The number of non-handset mobile devices is set to grow dramatically including products such asdata cards, laptops, game consoles, eBooks, ATMs and a host of other M2M applications. Withineach of these devices is a wireless data module providing a connection to a wide-area network.ARCchart estimates that the service revenues generated by operators from these products willtotal $93 billion worldwide by 2013. 47The mobile broadband card market grew 10 percent in the first half of 2009, driven by theincreasing adoption of HSPA and demand for netbooks, reports Infonetics Research. 48 Inaddition, Infonetics expects that manufacturer revenue from mobile broadband cards may reach$8.4 billion worldwide by 2013.45 Mobile Internet Devices Expected to Surpass One Billion by 2013, Cellular-News, 9 December 2009.46 LTE Cellphones to Reach 56 Million in 2013 Says New Forward Concepts Study, Forward Concepts, 15 July 2009.47 Non-Handset Devices to Account for $90 Billion in Operator Revenues by 2013, Rethink Wireless, 6 January 2009.48 Mobile Broadband Cards Expected to Be an $8.4 Billion Market by 2013, Cellular-News, 14 September 2009.www.3GAmericas.org February 2010 Page 33