Mobile Broadband

Although, the number of OECD countries that publish data on the number of mobile broadband subscribers is not large, growth is significant in markets where data are available. This paper provides an overview of prices, speeds and data caps of mobile broadband services. 99 and 58 operators in OECD countries are providing USB modem based and handset based services respectively with WCDMA/ CDMA-2000 technologies, while 4 are providing mobile broadband access with WiMAX technologies. The data show that there is a wide range of subscriptions available but with considerable variation between and within countries. Differences are most pronounced in countries where mobile broadband is in its infancy. The number of new mobile terminals and USB modems on the market is stimulating much wider use of mobile broadband by consumers. Prices, as well as caps, need to be adjusted for the consumer market which is more price-sensitive.