By the end of 2011, six million U.S. households will depend on a wireless or mobile platform (including 3G or 4G) as their only means of accessing the Internet, according to Strategy Analytics.
That means seven percent of U.S. homes are wireless-only for broadband, up about 430,000 homes over 2010 levels.
These “mobile-only” customers typically connect to broadband using 3G or 4G-enabled smartphones or PC dongles, and are unable or unwilling to use a wired broadband service such as cable, DSL or fiber, Strategy Analytics says.
These “mobile-only” customers typically connect to broadband using 3G or 4G-enabled smartphones or PC dongles, and are unable or unwilling to use a wired broadband service such as cable, DSL or fiber, Strategy Analytics says.
The firm says there are two primary markets for such consumers. First, there are users in remote or underserved areas where dependable fixed broadband is unavailable. Secondly, there are cost-conscious casual users who use relatively small amounts of data, and for whom mobile data rates are ‘good enough.
Strategy Analytics forecasts that cable operators will claim a bit more than 50 percent of U.S. household broadband connections over the next five years, while telco-provided Digital Subscriber Line subscriptions will gradually decline in favor of fiber to home and mobile-only connections. 6 Million Homes Now Using Wireless As Only Broadband Service
