FCC Annual Wireless Report: Mobile Internet Usage Information

 

The FCC published the 14th "Annual Report and Analysis of Competitive Market Conditions With Respect to Mobile Wireless, Including Commercial Mobile Services" (here).

308 pages, 50 charts and 42 tables covering every possible aspect of the US wireless market with information gathered from multiple sources - although some of the information is a bit old.

Since I am focusing on the mobile data traffic aspects, I find the following information interesting (see charts below):

• Chart 26 shows monthly data traffic generated by device type - note the difference between a blackberry, IPhone and other smartphones. and above all - laptops (source: Validas LLC)
   
• Chart 11 shows the number of devices (by the end of 2008) served by US wireless operators, by capability. At this time there were 7.2M laptops connected (source: CTIA).  

While laptop users are 8.4% of the "high speed" (Internet access at speeds over 200 kbps in at least one direction) wireless connected devices, their data consumption sets a significant challenge to the wireless data infrastructure - certainly is wireless operators like to position this service as an alternative to DSL or Cable for home users.

For the latter matter, the report quotes (P. 181) the FCC's National Broadband Plan: "while mobile wireless service currently is not competitive with wireline for those consumers who value high speeds over other attributes, advances in wireless technologies, coupled with increases in the supply of spectrum, have the potential to make mobile wireless service a more viable competitor at higher data speeds at some future date".

All this will have a major effect on backhaul capacity - and the report claims (P. 160) that "Cell site backhaul capacity is forecast to increase fourfold between 2007 and 2011" (source: Infonetics Research)