Mobile Networks Featured Article

Infonetics Research, in its third-quarter “Mobile Infrastructure and Subscribers” market share and forecast report, found the overall mobile infrastructure market was down 8 percent sequentially in Q3 2009 at $11 billion worldwide, but is down only 1 percent year-over-year.

 

The report tracks mobile subscribers and macro radio access network, mobile switching subsystem, mobile packet core network and home location register equipment.

 

Infonetics also predicts that the number of mobile subscribers is expected to reach 6 billion in 2013, driven by the basic need for voice service in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and Africa.

 

While mobile infrastructure market remained dynamic in China, Japan and Vietnam, the market was more or less dormant in the rest of the world, Infonetics researchers said. The ongoing 3G rollouts in China are responsible for the rigorous activity in the region.

 

Researchers found that mobile packet core network equipment continues to be one of the brightest spots of the mobile infrastructure market. This trend is driven by increased migration to IP, which in turn, is triggered by the rise of smartphone and data card usage.

 

Wireless Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) macro Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment showed signs of decline following five consecutive quarters of growth. Worldwide revenues decreased 10 percent between 2Q09 and 3Q09. However, the W-CDMA market is up 50 percent year-over-year.