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August 25, 2008

GSMA: Global HSPA Subscribers Hits 50 Million, Higher Growth Rate Expected


The GSM Association (GSMA (News - Alert)) recently released figures of worldwide High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) connections. According to GSMA, the number of mobile broadband (HSPA) subscribers worldwide rose from 11 million to 50 million during a period of one year.



 
GSMA noted that uptake of HSPA technology among consumers and businesses is rising in record figures, indicating that the number of HSPA connections will grow at the rate of four million per month by the end of 2008.
 
GSMA findings reveal that the most widely deployed peak data speeds over HSPA are currently between 3.6Mbps and 7.2Mbps, signifying an end user speed of more than 1Mbps. This, according to GSMA, is comparable to many of today's fixed line broadband services.
 
According to GSMA, there are 191operators with commercial HSPA networks, and there are more than 740 HSPA-enabled devices, including mobiles, dongles and notebooks, provided by 116 manufacturers worldwide.
 
“These figures highlight the global success of mobile broadband and the fact that we are continuing to see greater and greater economies of scale,” said Rob Conway, CEO and member of the board of the GSMA, in a statement. “This is driving down the cost of devices and equipment and enabling more and more users across the world to enjoy easy access to media-rich services anywhere at anytime.”
 
Mobile broadband providers across the globe responded to GSMA findings with a positive note and enthusiasm to achieve higher goals.
 
“The market need for mobile broadband services has increased significantly in recent years,” said Tetsuzo Matsumoto, chief strategy officer, Softbank (News - Alert), responding to the announcement from GSMA. “Softbank, and other mobile operators who have deployed W-CDMA networks, believe that HSPA satisfies these requirements because of its efficient spectrum usage as well as cost effectiveness for capacity expansion.”
 
“Thanks to the great potential of HSPA, mobile operators will be able to provide attractive services with competitive pricing for end users,” added Matsumoto.
 
“These figures pay testament to the growing power and appeal of mobile broadband, which is enabling customers to work and socialize in a range of innovative new ways,” said Steve Pusey, Global CTO of Vodafone (News - Alert), in a statement.
 
Kris Rinne, senior vice president of Architecture and Planning for AT&T (News - Alert), said, “Our network’s ability to provide simultaneous voice and data over HSPA allows for services like AT&T’s groundbreaking video share calling across our more than 305 major metropolitan areas where we have deployed 3G.”
 
“Our continued commitment to HSPA technology will continue as Telstra (News - Alert) prepares to deliver peak downlinks speeds of 21 Mbps later this year, further unlocking the potential of the Next G network,” said Mike Wright, executive director Telstra Wireless, in a statement.
 
According to GSMA, high-speed mobile access opens up a wide range of services, including interactive gaming, music and video streaming and easy sharing of pictures and entertainment for customers. Mobile broadband is used in businesses to offer flexible working solution and enable field workers to get access to company’s information network.
 

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Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Rajani's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Mae Kowalke





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