Mobile broadband usage soars in the US
March 26, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Americans are using their mobile phones and PDA’s to access the internet more than ever before. In the last quarter of 2007, the number of mobile broadband connections was as much as 154 per cent higher than in the same period of 2006.
The findings come from a research report released by internet usage research analysts comScore. The report covers internet access from cellular networks, which involves users paying a subscription fee, different from ‘Wi-Fi’ access, which is usually charged per minute and only available at certain hot-spots. The main network providers covering mobile broadband use in the US in 2007 were Verizon and Sprint, although AT&T plans to increase its coverage in 2008. The numbers of phones and PDA’s with broadband connections jumped from 854,000 at the end of 2006 to 2,168,000 by the end of 2007. 41 per cent of these connections are personal, with 59 per cent coming from business phones.
The relatively high cost of accessing the internet from a phone or PDA also makes its mark on the figures. It is considered something of a luxury good, with those on high incomes (over $100,000) 37 per cent more likely to use mobile broadband.
However, as more network providers enter the market, and the technology becomes more advanced, the service is likely to become less expensive, widening usage beyond the 1 per cent of the US population that currently use the mobile broadband.
Serge Matta, senior vice president of comScore, commented, "As consumers increasingly demand and depend on portable Internet access, the demand for mobile broadband should continue to increase."
AOL first to offer no-contract contracts
March 13, 2008 at 2:41 pm
One of the worst feelings for any dissatisfied internet customer is finding out that the Internet Service Provider (ISP) they are being subjected to has got them in shackles for months and months with no way of leaving, other than one with a stern financial punishment. There are some ISP’s that have seized on this and offer no-contract contracts, where you can leave them whenever you like. But for the first time one of the big-boys in the market is offering this service too.
AOL have launched a new tariff called Broadband Wireless Flexi. It’s similar to all its other tariffs except for the fact that you have a "get out of jail free card". At a reasonable £14.99 a month you get up to 10GB of usage allowance, up to 8Mbps (although we know now that figure is dependent on where you live and the time of the day you’re surfing), free wireless router/modem and ADSL micro-filter, and finally the unique ability to leave the service whenever you want.
There is a start up installation fee of £49.99, which you have to pay whether or not you already have the internet with another ISP. This might put off many customers as it’s three times the monthly fee and so feels like a three-month contract of sorts. However, if you aren’t happy with AOL within seven days of getting the new service, you can cancel and get that £49.99 refunded. But after a week, the money’s theirs to keep.
Some existing AOL customers might say this new deal is to tempt people, as their reputation for reliable service hasn’t been very good of late. Whatever the reason, it’s nice to see we aren’t tied to a chair anymore.
