Drivers and barriers for mobile broadband in Western Europe

Executive summary

• In a nutshell
• Key messages
• Ovum view
• Mobile broadband: a definition

Drivers for mobile broadband

• HSPA finally delivers on the 3G promise
• Devices: you say dongle, I say USB modem
• Future connectivity for mobile broadband: embedded and the handset as a modem
• Tariffs: capped usage access on a fixed term contract
• The Internet becomes omnipresent
• Femtocells: a mobile broadband driver of the future?

Barriers for mobile broadband

• Network limitations
• Price: the mobile premium
• Awareness

• Figure 1. Vodafone technology roadmap
• Figure 2. 3GPP HSPA evolutionary path
• Figure 3. Western European connections by technology: 2007 - 11
• Table 1. ZTE global datacard and USB modem shipments: 2007
• Figure 4. Mobile broadband capped usage limits in Austria, Germany, Italy & UK
• Figure 5. Mobile broadband contract lengths in Austria, Germany, Italy & UK
• Table 2. Examples of mobile broadband prepaid offers in Western Europe
• Table 3. Western European mobile broadband ‘average' service portfolio and pricing
• Figure 6. Contrasting femtocell business case scenarios
• Table 4. UK fixed and mobile broadband: cheapest price comparison
• Table 5. UK fixed and mobile broadband: most expensive price comparison