Mobile broadband big winner, despite downturn

Peter Dinham
Monday, 06 April 2009 16:53

IT Industry - Strategy

In the midst of doom and gloom, mobile broadband has proven to be Australia's beacon of light, with the market doubling in the past year to more than $1 billion.

In fact, telecoms research firm, Telsyte, says that although mobile broadband average pricing has dropped by half in the past 12 months, Australia’s mobile carriers have not only defied the local and global economic downturn, they have “greatly benefited” from it as consumers and businesses rely more on technologies to stay in touch while cutting down on discretionary spending such as travel.

According to Telsyte, even with rapidly deteriorating consumer and business confidence, Australian mobile service revenue grew by a staggering 12% and average monthly spend per user by almost 5%.

That means mobile broadband has now penetrated 110% of the population, Telsyte estimates.

Telsyte’s Warren Chaisatien says the continued HSPA+ network upgrades, the explosive growth of mobile broadband and the consumerisation of smartphones, were the main drivers behind the Australia’s mobile market's “impressive performance."

"With greater network speeds and a myriad of modern smartphones already in place, 2009 will be about content and applications as we see a proliferation of app stores, resurrection of mobile TV and continued push in the still-nascent mobile advertising space.”

Chaisatien also says that consumer protection will take centre stage this year but, he adds, the highest-profile event to watch will undoubtedly be the proposed joint venture of Vodafone and Hutchison's (3 Mobile) Australian operations.
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