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On a recent train journey to London, I found myself shoe-horned into a fully booked quiet coach. When I pulled out my usual travelling companions – iPhone and Blackberry – I thought I would be greeted by looks of disdain or at the very least some ssshhhing. However, this wasn’t the case and when I looked around I began to see why. The carriage was full of people with laptops and 3G dongles, iPads and some with the Holy Trinity of smartphones: iPhone, Android and Blackberry. All around people were engaged in a flurry of emails, tweets, status updates, location check-ins and other app-based activities.
Although I spend a great deal of my time discussing the development of mobile broadband and its impact on the world’s networks, it’s very rare that I see such a concentrated example of the service in use. This thought was brought to the front of my mind today when I saw this infographic (see left). This graphic highlights the geosocial universe and most critically the proportion of each platform accessed via a mobile device. Even a cursory glance at this information shows the impact mobile broadband is having on the way we communicate and access services. This is particularly true when we consider that nearly half of Facebook’s 500 million users access the site through a mobile device. This means mobile gaming, mobile uploads of images and videos, mobile messaging and one can anticipate that in the near future that Facebook may also develop some form of video conferencing service.
Although the move towards mobile connectivity is nothing new and is critical in the move to rollout connectivity in both developed and developing nations the figures continue to impress. This is underlined in Ofcom’s recent Communication’s Market report that reveals a 240% increase in the UK’s mobile data volumes in 2009 when compared to 2007. The report goes on to note that in 2009, 13.5 million people surfed the web via their phones. A figure that has almost tripled since 2008.
Aside from the impact on the networking infrastructure to support this dramatic increase in mobile data, it’s also important to consider the cultural significance of this. In the mobile universe, the demand for data is increasing at the same pace as the demand for voice is decreasing. Om Malik highlighted this trend in a recent Gigaom article, where he discussed the move from voice to data and how we no longer talk anymore.
I can certainly see this trend with myself. How many times do I tweet someone as opposed to calling them? The answer is higher than I care to imagine.
However, I’m hoping that soon this trend will come full circle. In an earlier blog post, I discussed if video would soon become the new voice. Gigaom seem to believe so and are predicting 30 billion video calls by 2015. The iPhone 4 and the rollout of true mobile VoIP solutions are enabling this development. The big question is what the impact will be on the cellular networks when VoIP services move from WiFi connections.
There is one important side-effect of mass mobile video conferencing that I need to consider though and that’s what will my neighbours on the quiet coach say when I pull out the latest iPhone for a video conference with my extended family.
How has the mobile changed your life and communication patterns? Do you talk less and tweet more?
Read more on the challenges of mobile backhaul here.
Gareth, I recently attended the Digital Media Conference (www.digitalmediaconference.com) in Washington, DC. The message from that event was the same … mobile is where it’s at. ComScore (http://www.comscore.com/) provided some opening remarks on digital trends, and they noted that mobile computing is expected to eclipse “desktop” computing by mid 2013 or 2014. (That’s just around the corner!) ComScore also cited accelerating numbers of smartphone purchases, as well as increased numbers for searches being done via mobile devices. And while these numbers were only for the U.S. market, global trends are already establishing themselves. The long and short of it is – the trend is that we will be communicating on intelligent mobile devices that let us engage with our respective communities, no matter our location. This has tremendous implications for communications networks, especially mobile networks.
Thanks, Christine. I strongly agree that mobile computing is going to play an enormous role over the next few years. One need only look at Steve Jobs announcement yesterday to see how the iPod has developed from a stand-alone music player to an integrated online hub for video conferencing, gaming and sharing.
In many respects, the term ‘mobile computing’ covers a whole range of hardware from laptops, notebooks, tablets and phones. If we consider all of these items together, then it’s no surprise that mobile will eclipse desktop.
However, what fascinates me is the advent of the tablet. As with the iPhone, the iPad has the potential to revolutionise communications and entertainment. Looking at Steve Jobs recent announcement and piecing the roadmap together, it’s not hard to see that the iPad will soon become an all-encompassing device.
What remains to be seen is how the networks will manage with the mass roll-out of data-intensive applications such as FaceTime and increased video sharing.
Thanks,
Gareth
New comment from Chris Conder on the 21st Century Communications for Britain LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=2042766&type=member&item=28540588&qid=08ab54eb-fbb8-48a5-b608-61a865055974&goback=.gmp_2042766
because they don’t work?
We have gone back to CBs for our comms in the farm contracting business. Most of the lads mobiles don’t work any more in many areas they used to. Many areas have never had a signal at all. In the village mobiles won’t work in the houses but sometimes you can get a signal in the gardens. One by one they have dropped off, with only o2 getting a limited signal. It has become a serious problem since the advent of the iPhone.
chris
Thanks, Chris. I’ve recently moved to a rural area and have to confess that I’ve had significant problems with mobile connectivity. Three of the UK’s largest service providers have no signal in this area and I’ve now installed a Vodafone Sure Signal box to my broadband router to generate 3G connectivity throughout my house (I appreciate that in a rural area I’m lucky to have access to broadband).
I’m surprised that house sellers are not encouraged to provide details of broadband, cable and mobile connectivity in some form of house information survey. For home workers, this is vital information to have.
Chris, in addition to your role as a rural digital champion I know that you’re also a social media campaigner. How would say that the advent of new communication channels has altered your communication patterns. Do you still call as much as you used to? Do use video conference more?
Thanks,
Gareth
New comment from Chris Conder on the 21st Century Communications for Britain LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=2042766&type=member&item=28540588&commentID=22132798&goback=.gmp_2042766&report.success=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_22132798
Been doing a survey this last few weeks for our latest broadband project. Done 5 villages and outlying areas. All are complaining that lack of connectivity has a direct impact on their businesses. Have identified over 500 SMEs or homeworkers, and many more would work from home if they could access the office server.
As regards my personal use I am lucky to have a connection thanks to WennetCIC wireless mesh and I find I use skype quite a lot now. I also use text through the computer rather than through the phone. I use the landline more than I used to, simply because mobile isn’t much good around here. The men work in the fields so a signal box won’t help them. We are resorting to faxes which they collect when they get home. In many ways we are going backwards…
Regarding estate agents, many people told me they used the BT checker before they relocated, only to find once they had moved in they couldn’t get a connection. We also have houses with ‘magic wiring’ – full ethernet through the house but no broadband to feed it. The builders put it in because BT told them that area had broadband access. This is what makes me so cross, the powers that be also believe the BT spin. Even those who can get a broadband connection say it is terrible, but better than tying the phone line up with dial up.
One farm pays £300 a quarter for dial up access on a dedicated line. It is out of sight of our antenna so we can’t get a connection to them on the wifi.
rant over
chris
It’s incredible to consider the impact basic connectivity could have on businesses and ultimately the economy. I’m surprised the government isn’t responding to real opportunities here (see earlier discussion: The UK’s digital agenda).
I’m amazed that you’re having to rely on faxes but also impressed at your resourcefulness.
There’s clearly a great deal of work to be done here and I’m looking forward to seeing some progress.
Thanks,
Gareth
New comment from Manek Dubash on the 21st Century Communications for Britain LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=2042766&type=member&item=28540588&qid=571fe913-24f5-43bf-84df-1d8aab03c085&goback=.gmp_2042766
As a technology journalist covering the telecoms biz, I’m always amazed at the gap between the reality that you are describing (and I too experience) and the gung-ho nature of telecoms equipment vendors who blithely talk about 4G networks and the wonders they will bring when there’s still a huge number of people out there who can barely access 2G – which is now almost 20 years old.
As you say, there’s a huge amount yet to be done in this area…
Thanks, Manek. I agree; this gap needs to be addressed and significantly narrowed, especially as the UK strives to become a true networked nation. In my latest post, I explore this topic a little further and discuss the impact of the UN’s goal to close the broadband divide.
Whether the UN can achieve this by its target date of 2015 remains to be seen.
Thanks,
Gareth