16 October 2008
By 2013, one quarter of households with broadband connections will have ditched their fixed-line services in favour of mobile broadband deals, it has been claimed. According to industry watchers Analysys Mason, increased competition in the mobile broadband market is likely to bring prices down over the coming years. As a result, more households will be tempted to switch to mobile broadband as an alternative to fixed-line DSL connections. The group claims that as more broadband users opt for mobile deals, operators will be forced to expand their network capacity to cope with the extra demand. However, it adds that fixed-line broadband providers are unlikely to sit back and watch mobile broadband take over the market, Silicon.com reports. Indeed, the arrival of superfast connections could encourage users to stay with fixed-line services and additional features may be offered to tempt consumers. Meanwhile, Virgin has become the latest company to launch a mobile broadband deal. With speeds of up to 3.6 megabits per second and a download limit of three gigabytes per month, the service will cost £15 per month.