Video: WBA Chair Chris Bruce discusses the findings
Executive summary
- The paper points to unprecedented growth in Wi-Fi hotspot deployments which are predicted to rise 350% by 2015. It found that 58% of operators – including 47% of mobile operators – believe Wi-Fi hotspots are either very important or crucial to enhance their customers' experience; offload busy mobile broadband networks; and provide a value-added services platform.
- It found that a key factor in this deployment activity is the rise in mobile data. Global mobile data traffic is expected to reach 16.84 million terabytes by 2014 which operators plan to manage through pricing strategies followed closely by use of Wi-Fi-based offload. It also revealed that smartphone connections to hotspots will soon overtake laptops globally.
Laptops now represent less than half (48%) of the connections to hotspots, with smartphones now encompassing 36% and tablets already on 10%.
- The paper also highlights how several barriers to further adoption and usage of public Wi-Fi are currently being addressed. These include authentication procedures, network access costs and user discovery of available networks and security.
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Download the report and/or infographic
| Document Title | Type | Date of Release | |
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Global Developments in Public Wi-Fi – WBA Industry Report, 2011 |
Full report | November 2011 |
| The paper points to unprecedented growth in Wi-Fi hotspot deployments which are predicted to rise 350% by 2015. It found that 58% of operators – including 47% of mobile operators – believe Wi-Fi hotspots are either very important or crucial to enhance their customers' experience; offload busy mobile broadband networks; and provide a value-added services platform. It found that a key factor in this deployment activity is the rise in mobile data. Global mobile data traffic is expected to reach 16.84 million terabytes by 2014 which operators plan to manage through pricing strategies followed closely by use of Wi-Fi-based offload. It also revealed that smartphone connections to hotspots will soon overtake laptops globally. Laptops now represent less than half (48%) of the connections to hotspots, with smartphones now encompassing 36% and tablets already on 10%. The paper also highlights how several barriers to further adoption and usage of public Wi-Fi are currently being addressed. These include authentication procedures, network access costs and user discovery of available networks and security. For more information, contact our press office more... |
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Key findings infographic | Infographic | November 2011 |
| Download our at-a-glance overview of the WBA's important new report on Global Developments in Public Wi-Fi. Please feel free to distribute to the widest possible audience! | |||
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Press release
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WBA New Members Release Nov 2011
Major Mobile & Media Players Sign Up to Global Wi-Fi Networks InitiativeTeliaSonera, SK Telecom, BSkyB and others join leading technology companies in the Wireless Broadband Alliance
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WBA Wi-Fi Hotspot Research Nov 2011
Smartphone and Tablet Adoption Expected to Drive 350% Increase in Global Wi-Fi Hotspots by 2015Survey finds that smartphone connections to Wi-Fi hotspots now outnumber those from laptops in North America and Asia-Pacific