Will mobile broadband spell the end for fixed-line connectivity?—Posted on June 26, 2008
A recent article in The Times suggests that within two years, mobile connectivity will have toppled its older brother, fixed-line Internet. This year has seen an explosion in the uptake of mobile broadband and now one in 10 in the UK are already using a mobile connection to surf the web (according to You Gov), leading some to suggest that it is becoming a real threat to fixed-line broadband providers.
In some ways it’s a fair point. Mobile broadband really is an excellent technology for consumers and businesses alike. For business, mobile broadband allows you to work on the move, and is ideal for temporary Internet connection needs (such as on construction sites). Added to this, prices continue to fall – making it an affordable as well as an exciting proposition.
The case for mobile broadband is not that clear cut; for all its good points, mobile broadband shouldn’t really be seen as a replacement to fixed-line broadband - its real strength lies in being part of a complete networking solution.
The thing is, mobile broadband has a number of limiting factors which stop it being a complete access technology. For example, advertised data rates on mobile broadband are faster than the UK fixed-line average (3.6Mbps vs 2.95Mbps according to online comparison site Broadband Expert) but this isn’t the case in reality. Speeds can drop down into hundreds of Kbps - and while this might be acceptable for someone while they are connecting on the move, this just won’t wash when working in the office environment.
Moreover, 3G coverage is still quite patchy - especially in rural areas. If your office is in one of these areas of low coverage, you will constantly have slow speeds making the user experience almost impossible to work with.
Then there is the fact that many offerings have fair usage policies slapped onto them - restricting users to just 2-3Gbps worth of data download per month - hardly adequate for any serious business use.
It is true that as the technology develops, mobile broadband will become faster and the coverage wider, improving the overall quality. Fixed-line broadband though will also continue to improve - and at a much faster rate. Mobile broadband has its plus points, allowing operators to offer businesses the right access method to get the right applications to them at the right time. So while it is useful addition, fixed-line offerings will continue to provide businesses the best form of connectivity for the office.