Networks Issues as Result of Smartphone Influx

Many different conversations were buzzing around the Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) trade show in Barcelona, Spain, that began yesterday, Feb. 15, 2010.


One such hot topic was how smartphones are surfacing as a major problem for networks trying to balance the growing demand for data traffic, reports said. 

According to Vodafone’s Chief Executive, Vittorio Colao, rather than allowing Google (News - Alert) to dominate and block cash from flowing through the mobile telecom systems, new business models need to be created in efforts to cope with data service demands. 

While manufacturers of these smartphones are reaping the benefits with the influx in sales, the discussion proved that operators are left with the repercussions – something you don’t hear about as much. 

However, BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion (News - Alert) Ltd. said it’s been aware of the issue and the realistic solution is to be more proactive in developing less bandwidth-guzzling products or risk choking already congested airwaves.

Actions speak louder than words though, people. So what actions are people taken?

Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO, told Reuters (News - Alert) in Vancouver that, as users abandon traditional cellphones for netbooks, wireless modems and feature-rich smartphones, like Apple's iPhone, wireless data traffic has exploded and is threatening to saturate network capacity.

'Manufacturers had better start building more efficient applications and more efficient services,” Lazaridis said. “There is no real way to get around this.”

'If we don't start conserving that bandwidth, in the next few years we are going to run into a capacity crunch. You are already experiencing the capacity crunch in the United States,' he added.