mobile broadband

Mobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet access delivered through cellular towers to computers and other digital devices using portable modems. Although broadband has a technical meaning, wireless-carrier marketing uses the phrase "mobile broadband" as a synonym for mobile Internet access. Some mobile services allow more than one device to be connected to the Internet using a single cellular connection using a process called tethering.{{cite book |title= Mobile Broadband: including WiMAX and LTE |publisher= Springer Science+Business Media |year= 2009 |author= Mustafa Ergen |doi= 10.1007/978-0-387-68192-4 |isbn= 978-0-387-68189-4 }}

The bit rates available with Mobile broadband devices support voice and video as well as other data access. Devices that provide mobile broadband to mobile computers include:

• PC cards, also known as PC data cards, and Express cards
• Mini PCI and Mini PCI Express cards that are integrated into the laptop
• USB and mobile broadband modems, also known as connect cards
• portable devices with built-in support for mobile broadband, such as laptops, smartphones/tablets, PDAs, and other mobile Internet devices.

Internet access subscriptions are usually sold separately from mobile service subscriptions.

Roughly every ten years, new mobile network technology and infrastructure involving a change in the fundamental nature of the service, non-backwards-compatible transmission technology, higher peak data rates, new frequency bands, and/or wider channel frequency bandwidth in Hertz, becomes available. These transitions are referred to as generations. The first mobile data services became available during the second generation (2G).[http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/events/mobile-broadband11/presentations/ebu_mobile-broadband11_lebrun.pdf "Overview on mobile broadband technologies"], EBU (European Broadcasting Union) workshop on mobile broadband technologies, Qualcomm, 12 May 2011[http://www.iject.org/pdf/amit.pdf "Evolution of Mobile Wireless Communication Networks: 1G to 4G"], Kumar, Liu, Sengupta, and Divya, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (December 2010), International Journal on Electronics & Communication Technology (IJECT), pp. 68-72, {{ISSN|2230-7109}}[http://www.3gpp.org/About-3GPP "About 3GPP: The Generations of 3GPP Systems"], 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), retrieved 27 February 2013

{{Clear|both}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/25/17046346/qualcomm-simulated-5g-tests-san-francisco-frankfurt-mwc-2018|title=Qualcomm's simulated 5G tests shows how fast real-world speeds could actually be|date=2018-02-25}}

{{Clear|both}}

The download (to the user) and upload (to the Internet) data rates given above are peak or maximum rates and end users will typically experience lower data rates.

WiMAX was originally developed to deliver fixed wireless service with wireless mobility added in 2005. CDPD, CDMA2000 EV-DO, and MBWA are no longer being actively developed.

File:MobileBroadbandInternetPenetrationWorldMap 2013.svg
as a percentage of a country's population}}Source: International Telecommunication Union.[http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Reporting/DynamicReportWizard.aspx "Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012"], Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.]]

In 2011, 90% of the world's population lived in areas with 2G coverage, while 45% lived in areas with 2G and 3G coverage, and 5% lived in areas with 4G coverage. By 2017 more than 90% of the world's population is expected to have 2G coverage, 85% is expected to have 3G coverage, and 50% will have 4G coverage.

A barrier to mobile broadband use is the coverage provided by the mobile service networks. This may mean no mobile network or that service is limited to older and slower mobile broadband technologies. Customers will not always be able to achieve the speeds advertised due to mobile data coverage limitations including distance to the cell tower. In addition, there are issues with connectivity, network capacity, application quality, and mobile network operators' overall inexperience with data traffic.[http://bestbroadbandreports.com/tag/mobile-broadband-2/ Mobile Broadband], Best Broadband Reports, December 2013 Peak speeds experienced

by users are also often limited by the capabilities of their mobile phone or other mobile device.

{{Worldwide broadband subscriptions}}

{{Broadband subscriptions}}

At the end of 2012 there were estimated to be 6.6 billion mobile network subscriptions worldwide (89% penetration), representing roughly 4.4 billion subscribers (many people have more than one subscription). Growth has been around 9% year-on-year.[http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2013/ericsson-mobility-report-february-2013.pdf Ericsson Mobility Report: Interim Update], Ericsson, February 2013 Mobile phone subscriptions were expected to reach 9.3 billion in 2018.[http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2012/ericsson-mobility-report-november-2012.pdf Ericsson Mobility Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202013312/http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2012/ericsson-mobility-report-november-2012.pdf |date=2012-12-02 }}, Ericsson, November 2012

At the end of 2012 there were roughly 1.5 billion mobile broadband subscriptions, growing at a 50% year-on-year rate. Mobile broadband subscriptions were expected to reach 6.5 billion in 2018.

Mobile data traffic doubled between the end of 2011 (~620 Petabytes in Q4 2011) and the end of 2012 (~1280 Petabytes in Q4 2012). This traffic growth is and will continue to be driven by large increases in the number of mobile subscriptions and by increases in the average data traffic per subscription due to increases in the number of smartphones being sold, the use of more demanding applications and in particular video, and the availability and deployment of newer 3G and 4G technologies capable of higher data rates. Total mobile broadband traffic was expected to increase by a factor of 12 to roughly 13,000 PetaBytes by 2018 .

On average, a mobile laptop generates approximately seven times more traffic than a smartphone (3 GB vs. 450 MB/month). This ratio was forecast to fall to 5 times (10 GB vs. 2 GB/month) by 2018. Traffic from mobile devices that tether (share the data access of one device with multiple devices) can be up to 20 times higher than that from non-tethering users and averages between 7 and 14 times higher.

It has also been shown that there are large differences in subscriber and traffic patterns between different provider networks, regional markets, device and user types.

Demand from emerging markets has fuelled growth in both mobile device and mobile broadband subscriptions and use. Lacking widespread fixed-line infrastructure, many emerging markets use mobile broadband technologies to deliver affordable high-speed internet access to the mass market.{{Cite web|last=Wakchoi|date=2021-12-05|title=Mobile Data, a Great Equaliser? The Cyber Bedouin|url=https://thecyberbedouin.com/mobile-data-a-great-equaliser/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=The Cyber Bedouin|language=en-US}}

One common use case of mobile broadband is among the construction industry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bytesdigital.co.uk/sectors/construction-site-wifi|title = 4G WiFi for Construction Sites | Bytes Digital}}

File:Mobile Broadband service mark.jpg for GSMA mobile broadband ]]

{{Further |List of LTE networks |List of HSPA%2B networks}}

In 1995 telecommunication, mobile phone, integrated-circuit, and laptop computer manufacturers formed the GSM Association to push for built-in support for mobile-broadband technology on notebook computers. The association established a service mark to identify devices that include Internet connectivity.{{cite web |title= Service mark: The global technology identifer |publisher= GSM Association |url= http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/mobile_broadband/service_mark/index.htm |access-date= July 17, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720190559/http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/mobile_broadband/service_mark/index.htm |archive-date= July 20, 2011 |url-status= dead }} Established in early 1998, the global Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) develops the evolving GSM family of standards, which includes GSM, EDGE, WCDMA/UMTS, HSPA, LTE and 5G NR.[http://www.3gpp.org/About-3GPP "About 3GPP"], 3GPP website, retrieved 27 February 2013 In 2011 these standards were the most used method to deliver mobile broadband.{{citation needed |date= July 2011}} With the development of the 4G LTE signalling standard, download speeds could be increased to 300 Mbit/s per second within the next several years.{{cite web|url=http://vergelijkmobielinternet.nl/what-is-the-future-of-mobile-broadband-en/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130222210128/http://vergelijkmobielinternet.nl/what-is-the-future-of-mobile-broadband-en/|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 February 2013|title=What is the future of mobile broadband?|publisher=Vergelijk Mobiel Internet|access-date=17 September 2012}}

{{Further |List of deployed WiMAX networks}}

The IEEE working group IEEE 802.16, produces standards adopted in products using the WiMAX trademark. The original "Fixed WiMAX" standard was released in 2001 and "Mobile WiMAX" was added in 2005.{{cite news |title=IEEE Approves IEEE 802.16m - Advanced Mobile Broadband Wireless Standard |date= March 31, 2011 |url= http://standards.ieee.org/news/2011/80216m.html |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130113073131/http://standards.ieee.org/news/2011/80216m.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 13, 2013 |publisher= IEEE Standards Association |access-date= June 16, 2011}} The WiMAX Forum is a non-profit organization formed to promote the adoption of WiMAX compatible products and services.{{cite web|title=WiMAX Forum Overview|url=http://www.wimaxforum.org/about|access-date=1 August 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728123014/http://www.wimaxforum.org/about/|archive-date=28 July 2008}}

{{Further |List of CDMA2000 networks}}

Established in late 1998, the global Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) develops the evolving CDMA family of standards, which includes cdmaOne, CDMA2000, and CDMA2000 EV-DO. CDMA2000 EV-DO is no longer being developed.[http://www.3gpp2.org/Public_html/Misc/AboutHome.cfm "About 3GPP2"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218040107/http://www.3gpp2.org/Public_html/Misc/AboutHome.cfm |date=2020-02-18 }}, 3GPP2 website, retrieved 27 February 2013

In 2002, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) established a Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) working group.{{cite web |title= IEEE 802.20 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) |url= http://ieee802.org/20/ |work= Working group web site |access-date= July 16, 2011 }} They developed the IEEE 802.20 standard in 2008, with amendments in 2010.{{cite web |title= IEEE 802.20 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) |url=http://standards.ieee.org/about/get/802/802.20.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415004447/http://standards.ieee.org/about/get/802/802.20.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |work= Official standard |publisher= IEEE Standards Association |access-date= July 16, 2011 }}

{{Main|Edholm's law}}

Edholm's law in 2004 noted that the bandwidths of wireless cellular networks have been increasing at a faster pace compared to wired telecommunications networks.{{cite journal |last1=Cherry |first1=Steven |title=Edholm's law of bandwidth |journal=IEEE Spectrum |date=2004 |volume=41 |issue=7 |pages=58–60 |doi=10.1109/MSPEC.2004.1309810|s2cid=27580722 }} This is due to advances in MOSFET wireless technology enabling the development and growth of digital wireless networks.{{cite book |last1=Jindal |first1=Renuka P. |title=2009 2nd International Workshop on Electron Devices and Semiconductor Technology |chapter=From millibits to terabits per second and beyond - over 60 years of innovation |date=2009 |pages=1–6 |doi=10.1109/EDST.2009.5166093 |chapter-url=https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/195547|isbn=978-1-4244-3831-0 |s2cid=25112828 }} The wide adoption of RF CMOS (radio frequency CMOS), power MOSFET and LDMOS (lateral diffused MOS) devices led to the development and proliferation of digital wireless networks in the 1990s, with further advances in MOSFET technology leading to rapidly increasing network bandwidth since the 2000s.{{cite book |last1=Baliga |first1=B. Jayant |author1-link=B. Jayant Baliga |title=Silicon RF Power MOSFETS |date=2005 |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=9789812561213 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=StJpDQAAQBAJ}}{{cite book |last1=Asif |first1=Saad |title=5G Mobile Communications: Concepts and Technologies |date=2018 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9780429881343 |pages=128–134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yg1mDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT128}}{{cite journal |last1=O'Neill |first1=A. |title=Asad Abidi Recognized for Work in RF-CMOS |journal=IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Newsletter |date=2008 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=57–58 |doi=10.1109/N-SSC.2008.4785694 |issn=1098-4232}}

{{Reflist |30em}}

{{Commons category|Wireless modems}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110222090438/http://www.gsmworld.com/ GSM Association], official website for the worldwide trade group representing GSM operators
• [http://www.3gpp.org/ 3GPP official website]
• [http://www.3gpp2.org 3GPP2 official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040123013738/http://3gpp2.org/ |date=2004-01-23 }}

{{Cellular network standards}}

{{Internet access}}

{{Wireless video}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mobile broadband}}

Category:Mobile broadband