SEPT. 27, 2009 • Mobile carriers are petitioning the Federal Communications Commission with the argument that their existing 450MHz of total spectrum is not sufficient to handle the surge of demand for wireless services by consumers buying smartphones like the Blackberry and iPhone. AT&T, which is the exclusive U.S. iPhone carrier, told the FCC that it has experienced a “5,000% growth in data usage” during the last three years.
Impact: Wireless bandwidth is not unlimited. Furthermore, the surge in usage is just starting. Usage can be expected to continue to explode and there is a big question of whether technology can keep up. It all becomes about building up the network, much as what occurred with the movement from narrowband to broadband Internet over the past decade. It will not happen overnight and in the meantime users will have to become accustomed to the spotty service that are simply a part of using devices like the iPhone.
