Wi-Fi & cellular subs to reach 55 mn by 2010

Worldwide demand for Wi-Fi and cellular converged services will reach 55 million by 2010. Western Europe, Japan and Korea will be key UMA markets and, as broadband penetration grows, China will quickly become a very attractive market. Wi-Fi and cellular convergence is about to hit the mainstream, with mobile operators planning to deploy UMA services over the next 12 months, according to a new report from Senza Fili Consulting, a consultancy focused on wireless data technologies and services.The report, UMA and Beyond: Mobile Operators Benefit from Wi-Fi and Cellular Convergence, estimates the revenues from Wi-Fi and cellular convergence services to be $1.6 billion by 2010 in the US alone, with over 26 million subscribers. “North America will be the largest and one of the first markets to launch UMA services,” said Monica Paolini, author of the report, “Mobile operators see Wi-Fi and cellular convergence as a cost-effective way to improve residential coverage, increase ARPU, and keep churn down.”

Worldwide demand for Wi-Fi and cellular converged services will reach 55 million by 2010. Western Europe, Japan and Korea will be key UMA markets and, as broadband penetration grows, China will quickly become a very attractive market.

UMA enables GSM mobile operators to offer fully converged connectivity using their existing core network. Subscribers will be able to seamlessly roam from the cellular network to a WLAN, maintaining their call as they move from one to the other.

“It is a simple and effective technology that enables mobile operators to roll out the solution in the short term,” Paolini explained, “But mobile operators and manufacturers need to develop a clear transition path to a SIP-based architecture, which will make it easier to extend the service to other wireless technologies, like CDMA, EV-DO, WiMAX or FLASH-OFDM, and to include advanced IMS-based services.”

The report assesses the technology and market potential of UMA and other Wi-Fi and cellular convergence solutions in the residential, enterprise, and hotspot market. It includes an extensive forecast of worldwide demand and revenues for converged Wi-Fi and cellular services, and an in-depth analysis of the effect that Wi-Fi and cellular convergence will have on traffic over fixed and cellular lines.

Press release for a new report from Senza Fili.

Press Contact:Monica PaoliniPhone: +1 425 657 4991Fax: +1 206 350 5295monica.paolini@senzafiliconsulting.com