Dyno Domains Center

Mobile broadband is set to catch up with its fixed-line counterpart; and there will come a time soon when it could even surpass it, according to a new report.

Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan’s catchily titled “European Mobile Broadband Melee between 3G LTE and Mobile WiMAX” report predicts there will be around 22.4 million 3G LTE subscribers by 2013. Users are already downloading six to fourteen times more data across mobile broadband networks now than they were a year ago, while average users are said to be downloading in excess of 5GB per month – which is also set to rise.

The company suggests the advent of the next generation of mobile broadband – and here the analysts are not picking sides between LTE and the alternative solution WiMAX – will eventually lead operators to move to an ‘open’ access, where any device can connect to any network, rather than just being able to use the one network, as we see at the moment.

However, Frost & Sullivan join the chorus of those suggesting mobile broadband pricing structures need to change. Luke Thomas, programme manager at Frost & Sullivan, said: “Rather than providing flat-fee unlimited contracts or traffic data download caps for 3G LTE and Mobile WiMAX, operators need to be more innovative with their pricing strategies to differentiate themselves from the competition but, at the same time, ensure that it is not too complicated or non-transparent for the user to understand”. For all the information you need on mobile broadband, take a look at Mobile Broadband Genie; it offers information, articles comparisons and advice on all that’s new in mobile broadband such as the latest pay as you go mobile internet deals.

He went on: “Furthermore, operators need to put in place effective management tools to manage traffic using quality-of-service policies, prioritised access and flow-based processing.”

Since identity theft and pretexting thrive on personal information, people should be wary of parties and/or individuals who ask for their names, their addresses, or for documents and items that might contain sensitive information. Case in point: the “IRS” asking for information online. The Internal Revenue Service does not send emails. Yet, over 9 million Americans do not know this fact and get scammed, or worse, have their identities stolen, including through giving out their social security numbers. Identity thieves are really having a heyday with pretexting and other kinds of thievery. Online scammers have definitely improved their means by using the latest that technology and the Internet have to offer. Fear and greed work best for identity scammers using IRS email methods. Place the word “audit” somewhere in the email and it will have people filling up bogus personal information forms in no time. Using the term “tax refund” generates the same result. What’s more, the email and the link page look genuine IRS material, complete with IRS logo and copyright notice. It would be likely for an unknowing user to fall prey to those who feed on their identities like parasites by pretexting. In actuality, it only takes basic education to avoid elaborate scams; if one knows that IRS does not send emails, one cannot be tricked into giving away sensitive information.

Trilegiant can help you avoid internet fraud such as pretexting.

Trilegiant is on the cutting edge of identity security.

Trilegiant’s Privacy Guard can make sure you don’t fall prey to identity thieves.

The United States is currently facing a budget deficit of around $1.7 trillion, and President Obama and his administration have decided to rectify the situation through a host of measures, including an additional spectrum license fee to be charged from mobile broadband service providers.

Earlier, when the US Stimulus Bill was passed, the mobile industry had received a grant of a whopping $7.2 billion, so that broadband services could be made available even in the rural areas. This move has direct benefits for the broadband providers as their infrastructure expansion will be funded by the federal government. However, after the announcement of the spectrum fee, a strong opposition is expected from the influential mobile industry in the US, as they would see this move as the government paying through one channel and charging through the other. The fee is in addition to the licence charge that mobile operators had paid earlier at the time of spectrum auction.

As spectrum available for auction is scarce now in the US, the government seems to have no other option, and the only constant flow of income that the government can expect from the use of spectrum is the new fee. It is expected that the proposed plan could play a significant role in reducing the wide gap between the government’s expenditure and earning.

In spring, the government’s complete budget plan will be released, and more details of this proposal are expected to come along with it, but before implementation, a good deal of resistance can be expected from the mobile industry against the new move.