GSMA: World Tops 500 Million HSPA Connections

The number of HSPA Mobile Broadband connections in service worldwide will surpass the 500 million mark by the end of June, according to the GSMA. The last 100 million subscribers were added since February, making HSPA the faster growing wireless technology ever. About 19 million new HSPA connections are being added per month. The rate of HSPA Mobile Broadband adoption in its first six years is ten times greater than the take up of 2G mobile phones when they were first introduced in the mid 1990s. By the end of 2012, the number of HSPA connections could top one billion.

The GSMA expects that over the next five years mobile operators will invest almost $100 billion. in HSPA, HSPA+ and next-generation LTE networks.

“Mobile Broadband has completely revolutionised the way we communicate. Smartphones are now essential life devices for many people and are used for everything from social networking to getting directions, listening to music and streaming content,” said Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer at the GSMA. “In parallel, we have seen a huge rise in the number of connected devices, such as tablets and laptops, with people now relying on the ability to connect from anywhere.”http://www.gsmworld.com