Are Tablets "Naturally" Mobile Products?

During 2011, some 33 percent of all tablets sold globally had the ability to use mobile broadband networks natively, according to ABI Research. According to Chetan Sharma, only about 10 percent of all tablets in use actually used mobile broadband networks.

That illustrates both the tablet upside and challenges for mobile service providers. Mobile phones have little value without a service. Tablets likewise have little value without Internet connectivity, but can use any Wi-Fi connection to do so.

In other words, tablets are more naturally suited devices for mobile broadband services than desktop PCs, perhaps only slightly less well suited for mobile broadband than notebook PCs, but not "naturally connected" devices such as mobile phones. U.S. mobile data generated $67 billion in mobile data revenues in 2011, accounting for 39 percent of the overall revenues. For 2012, Sharma expects mobile data revenues in the U.S. market will reach $80 billion.

That is one reason retail mobile stores always sell phones, sometimes feature tablets, but never try to sell PCs, though some have tried to bundle notebooks and mobile broadband services.

That might change, marginally, once more service providers decide to sell mobile broadband plans the way that fixed network providers sell their broadband connections. Essentially, fixed broadband with local Wi-Fi  inherently supports multiple devices on a single account.

Tablets won't become more interesting for mobile service providers until the equivalent "family data plans" are available.