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Tag Archives: mobile broadband
Connected Anywhere
There will be few in the tech industry who missed Dropbox’s recent funding news. Its latest round of funding closed at $250 million with a market valuation of $4 billion. Although impressive, I was far more intrigued by Drew Houston’s, CEO, ambitions to integrate into our lives. Houston wants to create a world where our data is never far away. Indeed, Houston sees a future where Dropbox is integrated into just about everything, from cameras to televisions, from cars to refrigerators. Houston wants your data to follow you, wherever you are.
It’s tantalising to imagine such a reality. To have our photos, videos, music, documents and every other piece of important data close to our fingertips and accessible by any connected device. Dropbox is certainly not alone in its ambition to become the universal keeper and distributor of data though. One need only look at Apple’s iCloud or Google’s rumoured Drive (GDrive) to see this is a huge market and one where the Internet giants are keen to capitalize. There can be no question that part of the reason Dropbox is trying to make as much noise now is the threat from Apple and Google, especially on mobile devices. Read more
Can 100G Tame the Network?
Barely a week passes without new analyst figures announcing the continued fierce growth in bandwidth and the concern that our networks may soon run out of capacity. This week it was the turn of IDC to release its findings on the state of the networking industry. IDC’s figures confirmed previous studies that show the dramatic growth in broadband connectivity. It expects to see Internet users to reach 2.7 billion by 2015. This represents over 40% of the world’s population and nearly a billion more users than in 2010.
Growth on this scale is phenomenal. What’s more, IDC expects most of this growth to be in mobile broadband, especially as tablets become more affordable (check out an earlier post on this: Mobile Data and the Ticking Tablets). In many respects, this echoes Cisco’s Virtual Networking Index study that predicts a 26-fold increase in mobile data between 2010 and 2015. What’s clear is that mobile usage will overtake PC usage and that mobile data is only going in one direction. Read more
Mobile Data and the Ticking Tablets
After a week of U.S. travel, I spent some time yesterday looking at how much data I’d consumed on my laptop, iPad and iPhone. I was amazed at the results. I shouldn’t be. Looking back I realise that I barely used my laptop. My iPad is rapidly becoming my mobile office. Emails, video conferencing, document sharing, Twitter. This is no longer a tool purely for mobile consumption but is now a device for mobile productivity. Looking again at my data usage, even my iPhone outstripped my laptop. Needless to say, I’m expecting a congratulatory note from my mobile service provider later this month. Read more
Should the Mobile Tsunami be Downgraded to a Squall?
Over the past few weeks there have been a number of reports on the state of mobile broadband and the amount of mobile data being generated. While some of these reports have centred upon headline-grabbing figures aimed clearly at making the mobile industry panic, others have taken a more reserved approach. This fluctuation of figures is something that continually fascinates me and at times suggests a slight disconnect between the different bodies within the mobile ecosystem. Yet one of the key questions facing the industry is how to assimilate this data and find an effective middle path.
As the mobile industry continues to migrate to LTE and 4G technologies, there still appears to be some ambiguity as to whether these new networks will be able to accommodate the growing demand for bandwidth-intensive mobile applications, such as video conferencing, online gaming and audio streaming. However, some within the industry are suggesting that we’re overestimating demand and possibly creating a bandwidth glut. Looking at figures from Cisco’s latest VNI report though, there doesn’t appear to be any glut in sight. Indeed, Cisco expects mobile traffic to increase 26-fold by 2015 achieving a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 92%. Such significant growth will see monthly traffic reach a staggering 6.3 exabytes. Read more
Could Broadband be the Shining Light of US Infrastructure?
As the political gears in the United States’ electoral machine begin to pick up speed, it’s fascinating to see the topics that are driving discussion. As you would expect, economic growth, employment and social welfare are some of the hot issues being bandied around by potential candidates. Yet one topic that has been largely absent from this early round of dialogue is the state of the country’s transport and communications infrastructure. Looking at some of the latest figures, this may be something that is about to change.
A recent Economist article highlights the critical condition of the country’s heavily overburdened air, rail and road systems. According to research from the World Economic Forum, the country’s infrastructure has actually deteriorated in recent years. In a global 2010 poll, the US was ranked 23rd for its transport systems. With much of the country travelling on antiquated air and rail networks or using roads that have fallen into disrepair, it isn’t surprising to find that this is impacting upon journey times.
