Companies Unite for Mobile Broadband Push

Companies Unite for Mobile Broadband Push

16 technology and mobile companies have united behind a GSM
Association (GSMA) initiative to create a new category of
always-connected 'Mobile Broadband' devices, delivering an alternative
to wi-fi. The companies say this will give consumers the freedom to
get online on the move, while enabling operators to address a US$50
billion (£28 billion) opportunity in both mature and emerging markets,
according to figures from Pyramid Research.
Participants in the initiative include 3 Group, Asus, Dell, ECS,
Ericsson, Gemalto, Lenovo, Microsoft, Orange, Qualcomm, Telefónica
Europe, Telecom Italia, TeliaSonera, T-Mobile, Toshiba and Vodafone
In the first phase of the initiative, mobile operators, PC
manufacturers and chipset providers are uniting to pre-install Mobile
Broadband into a range of notebook PCs that will be ready to switch on
and surf straight out of the box in 91 countries across the world.
To support the initiative, the GSMA has created the 'Mobile Broadband'
service mark, a new global identifier which will help consumers easily
identify the array of 'ready-to-run' Mobile Broadband devices. The
Mobile Broadband service mark will be backed by a global media spend
of more than US$1 billion in the next year.
"Mobile Broadband is like a home or office broadband connection with
one crucial difference: freedom," says GSMA Chief marketing Officer,
Michael O'Hara. Freedom from hot spots, freedom from complexity and
freedom from security concerns. Today, 16 of the world's largest
technology companies have committed to change the way people get
online forever.
Integrating Mobile Broadband into notebook PCs is the first step in a
wider strategy to deliver wireless Internet access and management to a
whole range of devices, from cameras and MP3 players to refrigerators,
cars and set-top boxes. However, only devices that offer a truly
un-tethered Mobile Broadband experience will qualify to carry the new
service mark.
The GSMA notes that more than 55 million people currently subscribe to
Mobile Broadband services in 91 countries, a number that the analyst
Wireless Intelligence says will grow by four million per month by the
end of 2008.
"We have seen enormous uptake of Mobile Broadband and see this
initiative as a further boost to its popularity," says Andrew
Sangster, Director of PC Connectivity at Vodafone. "Initiatives that
unite the Mobile Broadband community under a common identifier can
only be good for the customer. Providing a single, simple point of
reference for Mobile Broadband will ensure that the appropriate buying
decision is made every time."