PC-3G to come on strong this year — MobileMonday Global: Industry News

^{15 million units by 2009} PC-3G to come on strong this year

5 Feb 2007 at 05:46 GMT Timo Poropudas

The market for cellular PC cards and embedded 3G modems for notebook PCs is set to post spectacular 60percent growth in 2007. A study by Strategy Analytics finds that with WLAN’s limitations coming clearly into focus, and truly cost-effective mobile WiMAX still several years out, global 3G/3.5G shipments are set to grow handsomely over the next few years.

The annual shipments will reach 15 million units by 2009, the research company predicts.

This study concludes that 2007 will be the high-water mark for 3G/3.5G pre-OFDM growth as notebook OEMs begin to ramp up WiMAX in 2008 and 2009 with the help of WiMAX-ready Intel chipsets and baked-in WiMAX support in upcoming Vista Service Packs from Microsoft.

Yet, even in the rosiest WiMAX scenario, Strategy Analytics analysts are confident that 3G’s long term role as part of a multi-radio, least-cost-routing future is secure as the default subordinate platform to service remote areas outside of cheaper WiMAX or WLAN coverage. This bodes well for 3G in notebooks overall and opens the doors to embedded 3G radio modems as standard equipment over time.

“In the early 3G card market, tech-savvy business users with sufficient need and ability to pay are finding complete freedom from location and the gratification of instant-connections to be addictive.” said Cliff Raskind, Director of the Wireless Enterprise Strategies service.

“Fast forward a decade and users will come to expect options for boundless connectivity. The notion of having to ‘go somewhere’ to connect will be as inconvenient as it is for a voice call today. By necessity, to move the market forward, WLAN, 3G and 4G will be unknown to the user and these technologies will work in concert to provide transparent connectivity”.