The Mobile Broadband Fix

While most would agree that mobile communications have become an integral part of our everyday personal and professional lives, it now appears an increasing number of users view their mobile devices as indispensible, exhibiting behavioral characteristics consistent with addiction: The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

According to a recent report from telecoms regulator Ofcom providing data and analysis on the UK communications sector, 60% of teenagers and 37% of adults describe themselves as "highly addicted" to their smartphones, whose multi-purpose use is gradually cannibalizing other activities including using a PC to access the Internet, reading newspapers and books, and even watching TV.

Another online survey conducted by the Guardian echoes the findings in the Ofcom report, with 58.7% of respondents claiming that they take their smartphone everywhere they go. Everywhere. (Emphasis theirs, not mine!) And the Pew Research Center added another perspective on mobile broadband dependence with recent market data that indicates two-thirds of U.S. smartphone users sleep with their phones right next to their bed.

With smartphone and tablet adoption rates poised to grow significantly and mobile applications permeating every facet of our lives, the number of users (mobile junkies?) who develop a high level of intimacy and attachment to their mobile devices will also likely increase. This addiction not only portends heightened demand for mobile data, but also heightened service expectations as popular mobile applications, in particular video, become an increasingly important part of users' online experience.