Terminal capacity
Picture sourced from w3.org via Google Images
When will the mobile phone networks reach their maximum number of subscribers? The correct answer is never. You see the way I phrased that question was about the current and future mobile networks, not just the current ones.
Currently the number of people using what used to be extra (sometimes un-heard of) services like mobile Internet, Blackberry Messenger Services, POP3 email, IMAP4 email maybe even video calling is on the rise. In the UK alone the number of people using voice is decreasing and the number of people accessing the Internet via mobile devices has increased exponentially. There are only really two factors that have made this happen.
1) The iPhone.
You might hate to admit it but the iPhone was one of the first phones targeted to consumers and business users. The phone was built for the Internet, from the keynote that Apple gave describing it as a “revolutionary internet device”, the fact that the only apps you could use in iOS 1.1.1 were Web Apps and the fact that Apple set the standard for all mobile browsers so high that some manufactures have only just caught up and others are still miles off.
2) Mobile “Broadband”
I used quote marks around the word broadband because there is an argument to say that it isn’t really broadband but who cares, right? The adoption of 3G dongles and 3G-to-WiFi adapters has (again) increased exponentially since their introduction to the world. I own a 3G USB dongle and a MiFi both on the 3 network;but why should I carry another device with me? Well, device manufactures are starting to realise this as are the mobile networks. An up and coming feature on newer handsets (smart-phones especially) is the ability to turn them in to a so-called personal hotspot. My HTC Wildfire recently got this feature (via a software update) and whilst it means I have to charge my phone every night it also means on less device to charge and carry with me. Thought the main reason why I use it more than my other two options is the fact that my phone already has a large data cap and for £5 extra a month I can get an all-you-can-eat data plan.
So to answer my original question “When will the mobile phone networks reach their maximum number of subscribers?” my answer is soon. If the usage of data continues to grow then the networks will be come slower and slower until mobile broadband becomes mobile dial-up. The mobile operators in the UK (especially 3) are starting to think about switching to 4G. 3 were the UK’s first 3G only network and they set up a 4G network in their office to test the technology and the small 4G network the had there had more bandwidth than the whole of the UK 3G network, that is the power of 4G.
I hope you enjoy my writing style and if not then I would like to ask you why you read until this last part. Please feel free to donate to me to keep me blogging and to keep the blog ad-free.
You can donate to John by using this link.
Follow John on Twitter using this link.
“Like” John on Facebook right here.
Feel free to comment or send me a Tweet, maybe even inspire me to write a new post.
Terminal capacity
Picture sourced from w3.org via Google Images
When will the mobile phone networks reach their maximum number of subscribers? The correct answer is never. You see the way I phrased that question was about the current and future mobile networks, not just the current ones.
Currently the number of people using what used to be extra (sometimes un-heard of) services like mobile Internet, Blackberry Messenger Services, POP3 email, IMAP4 email maybe even video calling is on the rise. In the UK alone the number of people using voice is decreasing and the number of people accessing the Internet via mobile devices has increased exponentially. There are only really two factors that have made this happen.
1) The iPhone.
You might hate to admit it but the iPhone was one of the first phones targeted to consumers and business users. The phone was built for the Internet, from the keynote that Apple gave describing it as a “revolutionary internet device”, the fact that the only apps you could use in iOS 1.1.1 were Web Apps and the fact that Apple set the standard for all mobile browsers so high that some manufactures have only just caught up and others are still miles off.
2) Mobile “Broadband”
I used quote marks around the word broadband because there is an argument to say that it isn’t really broadband but who cares, right? The adoption of 3G dongles and 3G-to-WiFi adapters has (again) increased exponentially since their introduction to the world. I own a 3G USB dongle and a MiFi both on the 3 network;but why should I carry another device with me? Well, device manufactures are starting to realise this as are the mobile networks. An up and coming feature on newer handsets (smart-phones especially) is the ability to turn them in to a so-called personal hotspot. My HTC Wildfire recently got this feature (via a software update) and whilst it means I have to charge my phone every night it also means on less device to charge and carry with me. Thought the main reason why I use it more than my other two options is the fact that my phone already has a large data cap and for £5 extra a month I can get an all-you-can-eat data plan.
So to answer my original question “When will the mobile phone networks reach their maximum number of subscribers?” my answer is soon. If the usage of data continues to grow then the networks will be come slower and slower until mobile broadband becomes mobile dial-up. The mobile operators in the UK (especially 3) are starting to think about switching to 4G. 3 were the UK’s first 3G only network and they set up a 4G network in their office to test the technology and the small 4G network the had there had more bandwidth than the whole of the UK 3G network, that is the power of 4G.
I hope you enjoy my writing style and if not then I would like to ask you why you read until this last part. Please feel free to donate to me to keep me blogging and to keep the blog ad-free.
You can donate to John by using this link.
Follow John on Twitter using this link.
“Like” John on Facebook right here.
Feel free to comment or send me a Tweet, maybe even inspire me to write a new post.
