Wireless moves into new markets

Last month representatives from the CDMA community in Africa met in Cape Town for their annual stock-taking event, which was focussed on assessing the progress the technology continues to make on the continent. Jay Srage, Qualcomm’s vice president of business development for the Middle East and North Africa, offers his view on the impact wireless technology is having in emerging markets

Qualcomm’s Jay Srage believes mobile computing has opened up an entirely new market segment category full of opportunities for the wireless industry

As borders blur and people become more mobile than ever before, what it means to be mobile has begun to fundamentally change. The wireless industry has not escaped this shift. No longer limited to mobile handsets, wireless connectivity has evolved into a broadband technology with global reach, diversified into new device segments and expanded into new markets that either did not exist before or have never been quite so connected. Connected mobility has become a must-have, and mobile devices are gaining ever-greater personalisation and functionality, blurring the lines between what used to be very distinct market segments.

This change is being driven largely by the shift in what consumers have come to expect. Mobile connectivity is no longer a luxury reserved for corporate road warriors – the desire to remain connected and in-touch at all times has become insatiable by people from all walks of life and from multiple generations.

The redefinition of mobility requires, first and foremost, that mobile technology meet ever-greater demands. Network technology evolution is ongoing, and wireless capabilities are continually improving. Mobile devices are now able to leverage ever-faster data speeds to deliver that “click-boom” experience that users have come to expect. Each wireless network upgrade – from WCDMA to HSDPA, to HSUPA and then HSPA+, for example – brings with it the ability to support ever richer applications and more advanced services that blend seamlessly into a truly nextgeneration mobile experience.

Operators needing to meet the need of subscriber base increases and to differentiate their service offerings are looking to more advanced network technology and upgrades – such as HSPA+ that requires no additional spectrum and minimal network investment, and LTE, which complements existing 3G networks and serves as a logical growth path for operators with access to new spectrum. The rest of the ecosystem is also important – such as network infrastructure providers and application developers – which deliver solutions that support immersive user experiences using these advanced technologies.

Wireless connectivity has evolved into a broadband technology with global reach, diversified into new device segments and expanded into new markets

But evolution in mobile capabilities is not limited to just speeds and feeds – devices can now do more than ever before, and are smarter than they have ever been. More advanced processing power to run advanced applications, higher levels of integration, seamless interweaving of varied capabilities ranging from GPS and surround-sound audio to 3D graphics and high definition video playback; all of these factors play into the equation of mobile devices that do so much more than just make calls. The integration of immersive multimedia technologies is helping drive the dramatic evolution of the mobile experience and what is possible on a wireless handset.
But consumers are not limiting their use of mobile connectivity to phones. The wireless technology that is reshaping the experience that’s possible on a mobile handset is expanding into multiple new markets. Embedded 3G modules are equipping notebook computers with Internet access beyond Wi-Fi hotspots, which until now required USB dongles or wireless data cards to connect to 3G networks. With more and more users realising just how much freedom they can experience with a notebook computer that has embedded 3G, the technology has begun to proliferate across nearly all major PC OEMs’ mobile product lines. Notebook computers are no longer just portable, tucked into a bag until there’s Wi-Fi coverage at an airport or a coffee shop, but have become truly mobile and capable of connecting to the Internet from almost anywhere in the world with 3G coverage.

Mobile computing has opened up an entirely new market segment category full of opportunities for the wireless industry. Advances in capabilities are bringing to market a new class of devices that essentially blend the best of smartphones and notebook computers by offering a fullfeatured computing experience on a device that is always on, always connected and lasts all day on a single battery charge.

The most fundamental premise of these new mobile computing devices should be connectivity – after all, how good is a mobile computing device if it’s not connected? “Anytime, anywhere” connectivity to the Internet has become a must-have feature in all mobile communication devices and becomes especially important when users are relying on their portable device to deliver real-time information – news, e-mail, traffic updates, entertainment content, or even the location of friends nearby.

Consumers are demanding more and more of their mobile devices. Core wireless network technology continues to grow in capability and feature sets, reaching new markets and enhancing new types of devices with connectivity.

These mobile devices deliver ever-more-advanced experiences and leverage the advancement in wireless networks worldwide to make it easier to communicate and access information than ever before.

It is clear that the industry is at a tipping point, on the cusp of a great change in how mobility is defined.