LTE or WIMAX to change mobile broadband
Meanwhile, mobile broadband, which is still slower and more limited than most fixed connections, is also ridiculously expensive, both in Europe and emerging markets, but this, apparently, is all about to change.
ITU says developments at the Telecom World trade show in Geneva this week show that the balance is slowly tipping in mobile broadband's favour, thanks to technologies like LTE and WIMAX.
"We are seeing a trend in emerging markets where operators are looking to WiMAX for wireless broadband support because there is no fixed line infrastructure and the cost to implement is significantly higher than a WiMAX solution," an Intel spokeswoman told HEXUS.
But whether LTE or WiMAX steals the mobile broadband crown, what is becoming abundantly clear is that fixed lines for anything, be it internet or just phones, is on its way out.
The report notes that seven in 10 people now own a mobile phone, whilst fixed-line telephone subscriptions continue to plummet to fewer than one for every five people, or 1.1 billion worldwide.
