Smartphones, Laptops, Netbooks and iPads Strain Networks

The proliferation of smart devices and the consequent increased consumption of data has severely strained mobile networks in the US and beyond. The iPhone changed the game as user expectations related to the capabilities of wireless devices shifted dramatically. No longer were phones viewed simply as communications mechanisms. From that point forward they became the hub of all of our professional, personal and social interactions and activities. Wireless users now use their smartphones to view streaming video, participate in video conferencing, listen to internet radio and download and read books. The introduction of Apple’s latest product, the iPad may have crippling effects on AT&T’s already severely strained network. Since late 2006, AT&T has seen a 7000% increase in wireless data usage!

Imagine the effects of 1M iPads consuming 5GB each month- not too difficult to hit or surpass when you look at the numbers. Say I’m stranded at a family function one day in late March and I want to watch a particular NCAA tournament game. No problem; I whip out my trusty iPad and go to town for 2 ½ hours. Unfortunately for those sharing bandwidth, I’ll be sucking down 300MB of data per hour! Ouch. Out on the boat listening to Slacker or Pandora through your iPhone? That will absorb 60MB/hour. You get the picture. Voice calls, emails and text messages now represent a pimple on the buttocks of the data piece. And with smartphone sales expected to grow 30% this year, there are no simple solutions. It is now incumbent upon the carriers to build out their networks to accommodate these changes in behaviors associated with recent technological innovations.