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More and more customers now want dozens of services on a single wireless device, and that demand is fueling huge growth in wireless communications throughout the world, according to Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) President Matthew J. Flanigan in a keynote address given in Rhode Island last month. Note: to see wireless statistics and read the keynote address, entitled "The Transformation of the Traditional Telephone Company," click here.
Speaking at the 56th Annual International Wire and Cable Symposium on November 13, Flanigan shared insights about consumer preferences and global industry growth, as the leader of the industry group representing manufacturers and suppliers in the communications, information and entertainment industry.
"Customers want to do more and more with their mobile devices - and prefer to use only one device to handle all functions, including services typically associated with a PDA, or Personal Digital Assistant," according to Flanigan.
Consumers "are increasingly seeking an 'all-in-one-device' that serves as a phone and speakerphone with customized ring tones, address book, calendar, still camera, video camera, email and text messaging unit, radio, television, calculator, Web browser, voice recorder, currency converter, Bluetooth transmitter, global positioning services unit, business applications device and game player...with unlimited battery life and maximum security," he said.
Flanigan explained that basic telephone service is becoming a commodity, with traditional carriers now looking for premium services to offer and with broadband Internet access having become a key part of the landline telephone market. He said cable modems and digital subscriber lines are the dominant broadband technologies, while fiber, satellite, wireless and broadband over powerline are emerging broadband technologies.
Broadband deployment is fueling innovations such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), according to Flanigan, who added, "The Internet is becoming a platform for voice communications service." Citing data from TIA's 2007 Telecommunications Market Review and Forecast report now in production, he said, "broadband accounts for 57 percent of Internet services in the United States in 2006. The remaining 43 percent of slower dial-up service will soon change as prices continue to fall."
Regarding wireless, Flanigan reported, "The number of customers has now surpassed the number of landline customers in the United States and in many other countries, including the most populous...China and India." Again citing the 350-page TIA market report, he noted that the United States has 216 million wireless subscribers, while China has 450 million and India has 129 million. He added that India's total wireless will surpass the U.S. wireless total by 2010.
Looking ahead, Flanigan told the wire and cable symposium audience to expect "tougher competition, more consolidation, new service providers and new manufacturers, a global marketplace driven strongly by the Internet and Internet protocol-enabled services, more pressure on prices and delivery schedules, miniaturization, additional features in one device, shorter product lifecycles, faster-paced innovation, and international partnerships and relationships, as well as many more acquisitions by Chinese and Indian companies."
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