Mobile Broadband PC Data Card Growth Decelerates

Mobile broadband PC card accounts continued to grow in the fourth quarter of 2008, but at a much-reduced rate compared to the prior six quarters, researchers at comScore say. But it is a product that continues to have an enviable growth pattern.

PC data card adoption grew 163 percent overall in 2008, slightly ahead of the 157 percent growth rate in 2007. However, despite this rapid adoption curve, fourth-quarter growth showed the first signs of decelerating growth. On a quarter over quarter basis, the subscriber growth fell to just five percent, following sequential growth of 22 percent in the third quarter of 2008.

One can speculate about the reasons for the slower growth rate, but one obvious explanation is a deceleration of employment, reducing the number of users whose consumption is subsidized by their employers. Add to the that the slowing economy, and one probably has all the explanation one requires.

Consumer users might also be choosing to access the mobile Web using their smart phones, as a data plan already is required, and the logic of paying for another subscription plan to access the Internet and Web applications probably is unattractive.