Thursday, August 6, 2015

U.K. 4G Users Increase by 10X in One Year

Smartphones--used by 66 percent of mobile users--have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for getting online in the United Kingdom, Ofcom says.
Additionally, over the span of a single year, fourth generation Long Term Evolution subscriptions increased by an order of magnitude.
Ofcom's 2015 Communications Market Report finds that 33 percent of internet users see their smartphone as the most important device for going online, compared to 30 percent who view the laptop as the most important device for using the Internet.
That shift to mobile Internet has been rapid. In 2014, 22 percent of survey respondents said the smartphone was the preferred Internet access device, while 40 percent preferred their laptop.That represents a net swing of 21 percent, in just a year.
A rapid shift to use of faster mobile Internet access likely is driving the change. During 2014, 4G Long Term Evolution subscriptions leapt from 2.7 million to 23.6 million, an order of magnitude increase.
U.K. users now spend almost twice as much time online with their smartphones than on laptops and personal computers.
On average, adult mobile users spent nearly two hours online each day using a smartphone in March 2015 (an hour and 54 minutes), compared to just over an hour on laptops and PCs (an hour and nine minutes).
One clear trend is that faster networks lead to people using the internet more. Smartphone users with 4G are shopping online more than those without 4G (55 percent of 4G users do this compared with 35 percent of non-4G users).
LTE users also conduct more banking more online (55 percent versus 33 percent) and watch more TV and video clips online (57 percent versus 40 percent).
Users with 4G also make more face-to-face and voice calls over the internet (28 percent versus 20 percent) and use more services such as Snapchat to send photos and videos (49 percent versus 36 percent).
And though you might not expect it, 4G users also send more instant messages using services such as WhatsApp (63 percent versus 50 percent).
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Facebook will keynote Spectrum Futures in Singapore, Sept. 10, 2015, featuring Chris Weasler, Facebook and Internet.org global head of spectrum policy & connectivity planning.Facebook and Internet.org.

Other confirmed speakers will discuss spectrum sharing between LTE operators, spectrum sharing between Wi-Fi and LTE, new access platforms and the critical role spectrum plays for coming 5G networks.

At the same time, the intimate relationship between applications (Internet of Things), core networks (SDN. NFV, cloud computing, fog computing) and all access networks will be examined.

In the coming next generation network, clearly separating spectrum and mobile networks from Wi-Fi and fixed network access, core networks and cloud infrastructure, will be nearly impossible.



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