Synopsis
Cellular mobile networks have been built for voice services and even more importantly have been finetuned over the years for efficient and effective voice transmission. While both 2G and 3G allow, in principle, for a large range of mobile data services, these networks can never be optimised for that. Voice will remain the killer application for mobile with some data services included as support services and niche market services. New mass market initiatives such as the Nokia Music Store and the iPhone will require more affordable wireless personal broadband (4G) connections. This report includes an overview and analysis of developments in the mobile data industry, including brief case studies on four key innovations. It also provides statistics on the value of the mobile data sector, mobile data ARPU and an initial comparison of mobile broadband subscription costs.