WIRELESS broadband networks will connect almost 287,000 Australian subscribers by 2008, a five fold increase on the 25,000 expected to get their high speed internet over the air this year, new research predicts.
In the latest edition of its Australian Wireless Broadband Market Update, researcher IDC found that wireless broadband service providers, such as Sydney’s BigAir, Unwired and Personal Broadband Australia, as well as Melbourne’s Pacific Wireless and Access Providers, had gained ‘extraordinary’ momentum in the past six months.
Wireless broadband had a ‘unique ability’ to fill in a void of speed and coverage left by existing wireless technologies, such as third generation cellular services and WiFi access points, IDC senior analyst Warren Chaisatien said.
‘Wireless broadband has the potential to dominate that void and force more established players to redefine their value propositions and readjust their positioning and pricing strategies,’ Mr Chaisatien said.
Wireless broadband would become a truly disruptive technology once voice services offered over wireless networks had become standards-based and integrated into the base technology, he said. This was expected to occur within two years, Mr Chaisatien said.
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