Department of Business and Economic Studies

Title: Mobile Broadband: A Market Research

Author: Hibel Sobbizadeh

15 credits

Thesis

Study programme in

Master of Business Administration in

Marketing Management

2

Abstract

Title: Mobile Broadband: A Market Research

Level: Thesis for Master of Business Administration in Marketing Management

Address: University of Gävle

Department of Business Administration

801 76 Gävle

Sweden

Telephone (+46) 26 64 85 00

Telefax (+46) 26 64 85 89

Web site http://www.hig.se

Author: Hibel Sobbizadeh

Supervisor: Maria Fregidou-Malama

Date: 2010-01

Aim: This research is performed in order to investigate about Mobile Broadband (MB)

market and the evolution of mobile broadband modems in this market. The aim is to find

out how the MB market is developing and which MB modems are dominating the market

at present and future time.

The study describes the history behind the MB market and its present and future state

where an increase of “internet connected” devices is almost inevitable. It at the same time

discusses how the MB modems are developing from today‟s PC data cards and USB

dongles to integrated modules in different devices.

Method: The research is based on published and unpublished articles and data found on

internet. Different search engines and databases such as Google and Gävle University

library-databases are used to find various data. This empirical data is then connected to

theory containing Marketing analysis, planning, implementation and control. The analysis

3

part (PEST) gives a picture of the Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors

of the MB market, while the planning, implementation and control parts of the work give

an overview of the threats and opportunities of the market and the strategies to overcome

the problems and embrace the opportunities.

Result & Conclusions: The study demonstrates that MB market has potential of

becoming a successful market where devices with embedded module will be connected to

internet anywhere at anytime. This requires cooperation from all the players in the value

chain. The companies that choose and implement the best marketing and value chain

cooperation strategies will be leaders of this future market.

Suggestion for future research: One of the biggest challenges and limitations during the

work of this study due to its newness was to find empirical data about MB market. As the

time passes new information and statistics will make it easier for further research. As the

technology is developing rapidly it is recommended to use the latest articles and statistics

on internet when gathering new research material.

Contribution of the thesis: This study contains valuable input to people and

organizations who would like to get an overview of the MB and MB modem markets‟

development in the coming years.

Key words: Mobile Broadband, PEST analysis, marketing planning, marketing strategy,

marketing implementation, marketing control, embedded modules.

4

Abbreviations

ARPU Average Revenue Per User

EDGE Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution

GPRS General packet radio service

GPS Global Positioning System

GSM Global System for Mobile communication

GSMA Global System for Mobile communication Association

HSPA High Speed Packet Access

HSPA+ Evolved High Speed Packet Access

LAN Local Area Network

LTE Long Term Evolution

MB Mobile Broadband

MID Mobile Internet Devices

MNO Mobile Network Operator

M2M Machine To Machine

ODM Original Design Manufacturers

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer

PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association

SIM Subscriber Identity Module

UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

USB Universal Serial Bus

WiFi Wireless Fidelity

WiMax Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access

WLAN Wireless Local Area Network

WWAN Wireless Wide Area Network

3G Third Generation mobile communication

4G Forth Generation mobile communication

5

Table of contents

Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 2

Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. 4

Figures ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Tables .............................................................................................................................................. 6

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................... 7

1.2 Motivation, research questions and objectives of this study ................................................. 8

Chapter 2 Theory ........................................................................................................................ 11 2.1 PEST-analysis ..................................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Marketing planning ............................................................................................................. 12

2.2.1 Marketing strategy and the marketing mix .................................................................. 14

2.2.2 Market segmentation ................................................................................................... 14

2.2.3 Target marketing .......................................................................................................... 15

2.2.4 Market positioning ....................................................................................................... 15

2.2.5 The Marketing mix ...................................................................................................... 16

2.3 Marketing implementation .................................................................................................. 17

2.4 Marketing control ................................................................................................................ 18

Chapter 3 Method ....................................................................................................................... 19 3.1 Selection of data .................................................................................................................. 20

3.2 Validity and reliability ........................................................................................................ 22

Chapter 4 Empirical data ........................................................................................................... 23 4.1 The Mobile Broadband device Market and its Players at present time ............................... 23

4.2 Mobile machine-to-machine market ................................................................................... 31

4.3 PEST ................................................................................................................................... 32

Chapter 5 Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 34 5.1 PEST ................................................................................................................................... 34

5.2 Marketing planning ............................................................................................................. 35

5.3 Marketing strategy .............................................................................................................. 37

5.3.1 Marketing segmentation, targeting and positioning: ................................................... 37

5.3.2 The Marketing mix ...................................................................................................... 38

5.4 Marketing implementation .................................................................................................. 39

5.5 Marketing control ................................................................................................................ 39

Chapter 6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 40 6.1 Answering the research questions ....................................................................................... 40

6.1.1 Threats ......................................................................................................................... 40

6.1.2 Opportunities ............................................................................................................... 41

6.2 Reflections on my study and suggestion for future studies ................................................. 44

References .................................................................................................................................... 45 Literature: .................................................................................................................................. 45

Articles: ..................................................................................................................................... 45

Internet sources: ........................................................................................................................ 45

6

Figures Page

Figure 1.1: Marketing Research Process 8

Figure 2.1: Target marketing strategies 13

Figure 2.2: The four Ps 14

Figure 4.1: The mobile internet report by Morgan Stanley, p.39 22

Figure 4.2: The mobile internet report by Morgan Stanley, p.78 22

Figure 4.3: Options for mobile broadband connectivity 24

Figure 4.4: Mobile broadband device sales by type in Europe 2007-2014 25

Figure 4.5: Options for mobile broadband connectivity 26

Figure 4.6: Nokia releases slim PC with embedded module 27

Figure 4.7: Mobile broadband connections in Europe by device type 2007-2014 28

Figure 4.8: Annual revenue from MB by device type in Europe 2007-2014 29

Figure 5.1: Mobile Broadband logo 31

Figure 6.1: New Computing Cycle Characteristics 40

Figure 6.2: Some of devices that can contain embedded MB module 42

Tables

Table 2.1: PEST Analysis factors 10

Table 2.2: Marketing plan 11

Table 2.3: Marketing Control 16

7

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION This chapter gives an overview of the background, motivation and objectives of this

study.

1.1 Background

The “modern” wireless communication technology (using cellular phone) started in early

90s with mobile phones enabling people to communicate via voice calls and text

messages. Further on, as the information technology developed and people got more

familiar with internet a new market called Mobile Broadband (or Wireless Wide Area

Network, WWAN) opened up. Mobile broadband (MB) technology provides connection

to the internet and its services from any location using a multimedia device connected to

the mobile communication network and technologies such as GPRS, Edge, 3G and HSPA

network standards (Wikipedia, 2010).

Laptops and Notebooks in different sizes and colors, with different mobile broadband

connection devices such as PC data cards, USB modems and embedded modems, have

been introduced to the market. Today people can sit in almost any public place using

mobile internet to take care of their daily work, studies, social affairs and such, without

requiring cable or Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network, available in some

homes for wireless sharing of “cable”-internet between several terminals).

Different statistics illustrate that the Mobile broadband market is moving fast forward.

Starting from approximately year 2003 (2001-2003 in different parts of the world) when

3G was launched commercially, consumers have been able to access internet using their

mobile devices. However most of these consumers were due to low data rates and high

prices, business customers. As the new technologies have lately been introducing

improved network capabilities and high speed access accompanied with new affordable

price plans and user friendly-devices, more and more consumers are joining the mobile

internet market. At the end of 2008 there were about 20 million mobile broadband

devices in service in Europe (Unpublished source, 2009).

8

Today, operators in developed countries are providing great mobile broadband packages

in form of laptops with embedded broadband module or external modem (dongle). A

consumer can easily, only by inserting the SIM card into the modem or PC and clicking

on a soft key connect to high speed internet, immediately (Operator 3, 2009).

But, who are the providers of this technology?

The biggest players in the MB market are:

1. The network vendors such as Nokia and Ericsson.

2. The operators who are providing the network access to MB such as Vodafone and

TeliaSonera.

3. The MB modem manufacturers such as Huawei and Ericsson.

4. The terminal manufacturers such as Dell and HP.

Accessing high speed data has increased the demand for further development of the 3G

network to HSPA (High Speed Packet Access), HSPA+ (Evolved High Speed Packet

Access) and soon LTE (Long Term Evolution). This part is developed by the network

vendors such as Ericsson and Nokia with close cooperation with the operators. A

connectivity device (modem) is then needed to connect to this high speed internet access

network. The modems are mostly provided by manufacturers such as Ericsson, Huawei,

and Qualcomm (this study will mostly focus on this segment of the market). The modems

are then connected to or embedded inside the terminals (laptops) which are provided by

Dell, HP, Toshiba and more.

Analysys Masons‟ research shows that only in Europe by the year 2014 the number of

MB users will increase to 147 million (Unpublished source, 2009).

Before digging deeper into the MB technology and market the author would like to

clarify the purpose of this study.

1.2 Motivation, research questions and objectives of this study

There are two main reasons for choosing MB Market for this study. The first reason is the

curiosity of how this market has been developed and how it will continue to evolve in

future? Further, which products and firms are the market leaders today and will they be

able to maintain as leaders in this rapidly growing and changing market?

9

The second reason is the author‟s connection to MB market. The author is not only a

regular mobile broadband user but also currently working with this cutting edge

technology, developing mobile broadband modules, for one of the world‟s telecom

leaders. This has been an advantage to access both published and unpublished

information that will help to provide up-to-date and more accurate research and results.

On the other hand the outcome of this study will contribute to a better understanding of

the current and future of MB market providing the author feedback to improve his daily

work to speedup the growth of the embedded MB devices‟ market. Further, this study can

give a valuable overview of the MB and MB modems market to different audiences such

as companies and individuals active in the MB market.

Hence, the general questions to answer in this study could be listed as following:

1. How does the mobile broadband device market look like today in form of

different devices in the market, competitors and their market shares?

2. How to speed up the growth of the embedded device MB market?

By answering the questions above the author will easier reach his objective of evaluating

the current market, finding new opportunities and strategies for present and future

markets and determining a way to grow and compete in the MB device market with

embedded modules.

The “Marketing Research Process” described by Kotler & Keller (Marketing

Management 12e, 2006) is used in the research. The process is shown in the figure below

(figure 1.1).

10

Figure 1.1: Marketing Research Process

Source: Marketing Management, 2006

Each part of this study can be related to steps shown in the figure above. The introduction

defines the problem and the objectives of the research. The Theory, Method and

empirical chapters cover the second and third box in the figure. The study is then ended

with a presentation of analysis, reflections and conclusions.

Conclusion and

Recommendations

Defining the problem and

research objectives

Developing the research

plan

Collect and present the

information

Analyze the information

Present the findings

11

Chapter 2 Theory This section gives the reader an overview of the framework of theories targeting the

subject of this study. The theory will be reference for the analysis and conclusion

chapters of this study.

2.1 PEST-analysis

PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding the position, potential and direction of a

business and the market growth or decline. PEST is an acronym for Political, Economic,

Social and Technological factors which are used to assess the market for a business

(businessballs.com, 2010). Table 2.1 shows a modified version of factors involved in a

PEST analysis.

One of the most relevant “Political” factors of the MB market is the governmental

granting and funding of the development of MB market for its people. Another factor is

the environmental factor, how does MB affect our environment?

The “Economical” factors can include factors such as the current world and home

economy, and trends, what drives the customers in this economy? And how is the market

affected by today‟s economy recession?

The “Social” factors are connected to our changing lifestyle trends and attitudes. Further

how the company brand and image affects the people in different age groups and how we

are influenced by different kind of advertising and publicity, are also considered as major

social factors in the MB market.

Competing technologies, technologies that can replace MB, maturity of the MB

technology and how to access the MB technology are the major “Technological factors”

of the MB market.

12

Political

ecological/environmental issues

government policies

funding, grants and initiatives

Economic

home economy situation

home economy trends

overseas economies and trends

customer/end-user drivers

international trade/monetary issues

Social

lifestyle trends

demographics

consumer attitudes and opinions

media views

brand, company, technology image

consumer buying patterns

major events and influences

buying access and trends

advertising and publicity

Technological

competing technology development

associated/dependent technologies

replacement technology/solutions

maturity of technology

information and communications

technology access, licensing, patents

global communications

2.2 Marketing planning

Marketing planning involves deciding on marketing strategies that will help the company

achieve its overall strategic goals. The following table (Armstrong & Kotler Marketing

2006, p.55) outlines the main section of a product or brand marketing plan. The plan

begins with a summary which overviews major assessments, objectives and

recommendations. Further it presents the current marketing situation and its potential

threats as well as its opportunities (tutor2u, 2010). The marketing strategy part consists of

specific strategies for target markets, positioning and the marketing mix. Each strategy

will address the threats and opportunities mentioned earlier. These steps are then

Table 2.1: PEST Analysis factors

Source: businessballs.com, 2010

13

followed by action plan for implementing the strategy, a detailed marketing budget and

controls, which will be used to monitor progress and adjusting action, see table 2.2.

Table 2.2: Marketing plan

Source: Marketing, 2006

Section Purpose

Executive summary

Presents a brief summary of the main goals and

recommendations of the plan for management review,

helping top management to find the plan‟s major points

quickly. A table of contents should follow the executive

summary.

Current marketing situation A market description that defines the market and major

segments, then reviews customer needs and factors in the

marketing environment that may affect customer

purchasing

A product review that shows sales, prices, and gross

margins of the major products in the product line

A review of competition, which identifies major

competitors and assesses their market positions and

strategies for product quality, pricing, distribution, and

promotion.

A review of distribution, which evaluates recent sales

trends and other developments in major distribution

channels.

Threats and opportunities Assesses major threats and opportunities that the product

might face, helping management to anticipate important

positive or negative developments that might have an

impact on the firm and its strategies.

Objectives and issues States the marketing objectives that the company would

like to attain during the plan‟s term and discusses key

issues that will affect their attainment. For example, if the

goal is to achieve a 15 percent market share, this section

looks at how this goal might be achieved.

Marketing strategy Outlines the broad marketing logic by which the business

unit hopes to achieve its marketing objectives and the

specifics of target markets, positioning, and marketing

expenditure levels. It outlines specific strategies for each

marketing-mix element and explains how each responds

14

to the threats, opportunities, and critical issues spelled out

earlier in the plan.

Actions programs Spells out how marketing strategies will be turned into

specific action programs that answer the following

questions: What will be done? When will it be done? Who

is responsible for doing it? How much will it cost?

Budgets Details a supporting marketing budget that is essentially a

projected profit-and-loss statement. It shows expected

revenues (forecasted number of units sold and the average

net price9 and expected costs (of production, distribution,

and marketing). The difference is the projected profit.

Once approved by higher management, the budget

becomes the basis for materials buying, production

scheduling, personnel planning, and marketing operations.

Controls Outlines the control that will be used to monitor progress

and allow higher management to review implementation

results and spot products that are not meeting their goals.

2.2.1 Marketing strategy and the marketing mix

In today‟s competitive market the companies need to be customer centered. They need to

win customers from competitors, keep and grow them by delivering great value. In order

to do so the company must first understand the customers‟ needs and wants and find the

segments of the market that it can serve better than others. Thus the three steps of market

segmentation, target marketing and market positioning help to easier determine the

marketing strategy (Marketing, 2006).

2.2.2 Market segmentation

A marketer needs to determine which segments offer the best opportunities by grouping

the consumers in various ways based on geographic- (nations, cities, or neighborhoods),

demographic- (age, gender, occupation), psychographic- (social class, lifestyle,

personality) and behavioral factors (occasions, benefits, attitude toward product). An

affective segmentation should according to Armstrong and Kotler (Marketing, 2006) be

Measurable. It means that the size, purchasing power and profiles of the segments should

be measurable. The segments should also be Accessible, easy to reach and serve. They

15

should also be large or profitable enough to serve (Substantial). It should also be easy to

see different customer behavior for different segments and use different marketing mix

(Differentiable). Finally the segments should be Actionable, which means that they

should be possible to serve.

2.2.3 Target marketing

After finding its segments a company needs to evaluate each market-segment‟s

attractiveness and select one or more segments to enter. It should target segments in

which it can beneficially generate greatest customer value and sustain it over time. The

figure below shows different target marketing strategies (figure 2.1):

Undifferentiated marketing or mass marketing strategy is when a firm decides to ignore

market segment differences and target the whole market with one offer. The focus in this

strategy is what is common in the needs of consumers rather than on what is different.

In differentiated marketing strategy the firm decides to target several market segments

and designs separate offers for each. Concentrated market coverage strategy focuses on a

large share of one or a few smaller segments or niches instead of going after a small share

of a large market. Micromarketing is the practice of tailoring products and marketing

programs after needs and wants of specific individuals or groups (Marketing, 2006).

2.2.4 Market positioning

Market positioning according to Armstrong & Kotler, is arranging for a product to

occupy a clear, distinctive, and desirable place relative to competing products in the

minds of target consumers. The company needs to offer greater customer value than its

Undifferentiated Differentiated Concentrated Micromarketing

Targeting broadly Targetting narrowly

Figure 2.1: Target marketing strategies

Source: Marketing 2006

16

competitors either by charging lower price or offering benefits to justify higher prices.

All kind of differentiation such as differentiation in product, service, channels, staff and

image play a significant role in positioning.

2.2.5 The Marketing mix

After deciding the marketing strategy the company can start planning its marketing mix

in details. It is a set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to

produce a demand for its products in the target market. Armstrong & Kotler refer to four

Ps; Product, Price, Place and Promotion for an effective marketing mix (Marketing, 2006,

p.52-53), see figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2: The four Ps

Source: Marketing, 2006

1. Product: means the goods and services combination that company offers to the

target market. The mix of products in each company is defined in one or more

product line which has its own length depending on the market, competition and

strategy. In order to increase market share, the length of each product line can

either be stretched to cover wide range of products or different features of a

Product Variety Quality

Design

Features Brand name

Packaging

Services

Price List price Discounts

Allowances

Payment -period

Credit terms

Promotion Advertising

Personal -

selling

Sales –

promotion

Public relations

Place Channels

Coverage Assortments

Locations

Inventory Transportation

Logistics

Target customers

Intended

positioning

17

product. Quality of the product is an important variable for positioning the

product and the brand in customers‟ minds.

2. Price: is the amount of money customers have to pay to obtain the product. To put

the right price tag on a product is a difficult task. The price is influenced by both

internal and external factors of a company. Pricing is further about discounts,

interest and credits and delivering the value and customer satisfaction for the

amount of money a customer is paying.

3. Place: includes company activities that make the product available to target

consumers. All kind of channels such as distribution, logistics, transportations are

included in this parameter. These are the channels that connect the producer to the

consumer. Hence to be able to control and optimize them is one of the greatest

challenges and an important factor for the company.

4. Promotion: refer to activities that communicate the merits of the product and

persuade target customers to buy it. The most known variables of promotion are

advertising and sales promotion.

An effective marketing program blends all of the marketing mix elements into a

coordinated program designed to achieve the company‟s marketing objectives by

delivering value to consumers (Marketing, 2006).

The marketing mix framework however has limitations. This framework was more useful

when the physical products dominated the economy. In today‟s market it is clear that

other factors such as packaging, people and process are also important (NetMBA, 2010).

2.3 Marketing implementation

This is the process that puts marketing plans into action in order to accomplish the

strategic marketing objectives. In other words implementation is about “doing things

right” while strategy is about “doing the right things” (Marketing, 2006). This means that

even if two companies follow the same strategy in the market the one who is better at

implementing the strategies is the one who will have a greater share of the market.

18

2.4 Marketing control

Marketing control involves evaluating the results of marketing strategies and plans and

taking the right actions to ensure that objectives are attained. In general, it‟s a way to use

the feedback from market regarding the performance of marketing implementation that

has been applied in order to reach the goals set by the management. There are two types

of control:

Operating control- involves checking ongoing performance against the annual plan and

taking action when needed.

Strategic control- involves looking at whether the company‟s basic strategies are well

matched to its opportunities. A major tool for this kind of control is a marketing audit.

Marketing audit is a systematic, independent and periodic examination of a company‟s

environment, objectives, strategies, and activities to find out more about problem areas

and opportunities to recommend a plan of action to improve the company‟s marketing

performance. The table below is an example taken from Kotler & Keller (2006, page 717)

demonstrating the importance of marketing control, see table 2.3.

Type of Control Prime

Responsibility

Purpose of Control Approaches

Annual-plan control Top management

Middle management

To examine whether

the planned results

are being achieved

Sales analysis

Market share analysis

Sales-to-expense

ratios

Financial analysis

Market-based

scorecard analysis

Profitability control Marketing

Controller

To examine where

the company is

making and losing

money

Profitability by:

Product

Territory

Customer

Segment

Trade channel

Order size

Efficiency Control Line and staff

management

To evaluate and improve

the spending efficiency

and impact of marketing

Efficiency of:

Sales force

Advertising

Sales promotion

Table 2.3: Marketing Control

Source: Kotler &Keller (2006)

19

Marketing controller expenditures Distribution

Strategic Control Top management

Marketing auditor

To examine whether

the company is

pursuing its best

opportunities with

respect to markets,

products, and

channels.

Marketing-

effectiveness rating

instrument

Marketing audit

Marketing excellence

review

Company ethical and

social responsibility

review.

20

Chapter 3 Method This part of the study is dedicated to the research methods and information regarding

how the data is collected, analyzed and presented.

3.1 Selection of data

A classic way of analyzing and concluding a study is to connect its empirical data to

recognized theory. In this study I use the “abduction” (Saunders, 2003) approach in order

to relate empirical data to known marketing theories. The approach according to

Saunders is based on reality and empirical data which are combined with known theories

for the purpose of pattern and understanding. I have in part 2 and 4 of this study collected

theories and empirical data making it possible to reflect and analyze in order to form the

fitting conclusions. The theory framework selected for this study contains:

Marketing analysis (PEST)

Marketing planning (including Marketing strategies and Marketing Mix)

Marketing implementation

Marketing control

According to Armstrong & Kotler (Marketing, 2006), “to find the best marketing strategy

and mix, the company engages in marketing analysis, planning, implementation and

control”.

The assembly of the empirical data however has been the most challenging part of this

study since the research subject is new. This, mostly qualitative and partly quantitative,

information has been collected from internet sources using search engines such as

Google, HIG (Gävle University) library database and free encyclopedia such as

Wikipedia. I have also collected knowledge from secure published sources such as

Armstrong & Kotler (Marketing, 2006), Bryman & Bell (Företags-ekonomiska

forskningsmetoder), Kotler & Keller (Marketing Management 12e, 2006) and other

unpublished sources such as Analysys Mason (Mobile broadband devices, 2009).

21

Keywords such as marketing research, marketing planning, mobile broadband, marketing

strategy and control, HSPA, WiFi, WiMax, 3G and so forth have been used on the

different search engines mentioned to find different articles and reports such as Morgan

Stanley‟s (a global financial services firm, morganstanely.com, 2010) mobile internet

report and more.

The whole concept of this research originated from my daily work at one of the biggest

embedded MB device producers. Since the natural way of any other external device

connected to a PC has been to become embedded (such as WiFi and Bluetooth devices), I

wanted to find out how to speedup the process of getting MB modem embedded. Hence

the aim has been to gather a valid and sufficient amount of theory and empirical data

about Marketing-research in general, MB market, Marketing- planning, analysis, strategy

and control in order to shed light on the main objectives of this work. Since mobile

broadband market is a relatively young market, the number of published studies is

limited. This has made the empirical information finding and gathering rather difficult.

In order to get a basic overview of the Mobile internet market I started gathering

information about the history of the mobile communication technology and its expansion

procedure from its early days until today. The next step was to find out how the market

looks today? How many people are using mobile internet? And which are the devices

they use to do that? Which companies are the market leaders and how big is the

competition in this market?

After having collected the information it was time to use known theories to analyze and

understand the behavior of the market today and the coming years and present some

conclusions regarding which ways and strategies might speed up the growth of the

embedded MB device market.

The above mentioned process has been a time-consuming and challenging, yet interesting

and instructive journey.

22

3.2 Validity and reliability

It is not easy to be convinced that all the information and statistics found on internet is

valid and reliable. But since the same data has been used and repeated in different articles

I assume that the reliability and the validity of the data are fairly high. The same

assumption is applicable for the unpublished information since it is gathered by

professional companies and delivered to their professional clients for a high payment.

When it comes to technical information and descriptions however, due to my technical

education and background I hope the reader does trust the validity and the reliability of

the used data.

23

Chapter 4 Empirical data

This part of the study presents gathered information about the MB device market and its

players, subscribers and sales statistics to the reader.

4.1 The Mobile Broadband device Market and its Players at present time

The MB market is characterized by a broad range of devices used to access wide-area

data connectivity. There are four main types of terminals or end-user equipment:

1. The mobile phone

2. Mobile Internet Devices (MID, devices which are optimized for browsing)

3. Laptop

4. Other (such as cameras, game consoles, picture frames and eBooks)

Laptops can come in different varieties such as Notebooks, Netbooks etc.

In the early days of the wireless internet, even before the launch of UMTS networks in

2003 the mobile internet device (modem) market was dominated by PCMCIA/Express

cards. As the evolution of the 3G networks speeded up, the USB modems arrived to

market (in 2007) and took over its main part. Today these USB dongles with

approximately 90% of sales of MB devices in Europe are dominating the market.

However this dominance will be changed and gradually overtaken by the embedded

modems according to Analysys Mason (unpublished article). This is due to the

advantages that an embedded module has compared to a dongle or any other modem.

Nevertheless Mobile Network Operators (MNO) need to adapt their marketing strategies

to suit the changing dynamics when they lead the market from USB modems to

embedded modules.

Further according to Analysys Mason the adoption of mobile data services has risen in

the past two years. In August 2008 the GSM Association (GSMA) announced that 50

million subscribers worldwide were using HSPA networks. This number was only 11

million the year before. By April 2009 this number had increased to 120 million. Figure

4.1 shows the increased usage of data on mobile phone in US.

24

Figure 4.1: The mobile internet report by Morgan Stanley, p.39

Source: morganstanely.com, 2009

As the Morgan Stanley studies show, the mobile internet usage on iPhone (9 %) is about

6 % higher than a normal mobile phone (3 %), which means that with access to the

proper device the usage of mobile internet increases. The same study shows the raise of

the number of global 3G subscribers in the following figure, see figure 4.2.

25

Figure 4.2: The mobile internet report by Morgan Stanley, p.78

Source: morganstanely.com, 2009

The graph shows that the number of 3G subscribers has grown over the last years and

will continue to grow in the coming years. According to the graph the number of 3G

global users by the year 2014 will increase from 2009‟s 688 million to 2776 million

covering approximately 43 % of the global 3G user market. This means an approximately

5 to 6 % yearly increase of global 3G market penetration.

26

Figure 4.3: Options for mobile broadband connectivity

Source: Analysys Mason, 2009

The most important part of the MB market is the device market. This market is

dominated by USB modems “dongles” at the moment. However it is still an immature

market which is changing rapidly. For two years ago the market domination shifted from

PCMCIA cards to USB modems and now the next competitor, embedded module, is on

its way to dominate the market in a few years from now (Analysys Mason, 2009).

Figure 4.3 illustrates the common options for MB connectivity.

The first option which is using a USB dongle is the most common one today. The second

option is done by using the mobile phone via Bluetooth or cable as a modem connected to

the PC. This option is used only by few consumers since to use the same SIM card for

both voice and data is more costly. The third option is used in some homes today. The

SIM card is inserted to a MB Hub which connects to the MB network and then shares

27

internet with all the WLAN devices at home. The forth option is not common yet but will

be the most common option in future according to Analysys Mason. The laptop has an

embedded modem which makes connection to wireless internet possible anywhere and

anytime. The last option is mostly used for quick and short access to internet using a

multimedia device such as “Iphone”. This kind of device is unpractical to use for

advanced usage of internet.

Figure 4.4: Mobile broadband device sales by type in Europe, 2007–2014

Source: Analysys Mason, 2009

Figure 4.4 shows how the mobile device market is developing in Europe. As mentioned

earlier over the next five years the device market which today is dominated by the USB

modems will shift to embedded modems. The USB modem market will reach its top by

the year 2013 with approximately 60 million devices in Europe when the embedded

modem market takes over.

28

Although the embedded module share of the connectivity device market currently is less

than 3% Analysys Mason believes that by the year 2014 this number will increase to

approximately 50%. However in order to stay competitive, the companies producing

embedded broadband modules need to move along the value chain to become module

manufacturer delivering directly to the Terminal manufacturers. As you can see in figure

4.5 Ericsson and Qualcomm are currently ahead of their competitors in this matter.

Samsung and perhaps Nokia are the companies that have the ability and know-how to

own the whole value chain producing end-user devices for mobile broadband usage.

Sierra Wireless has purchased Wavecom in order to address the fact of producing its own

chipsets.

Figure 4.5: Options for mobile broadband connectivity

Source: Analysys Mason, 2009

The latest news from Nokia on “Dagens Industri” (Swedish Industry Paper, 2009)

illustrates the statement above, when Nokia enters the “slim-laptop with embedded

broadband module” market, see figure 4.6.

29

The figure below (figure 4.7) from Analysys Mason demonstrates the evolution of the

mobile broadband device market in Europe from 2007 to 2014. The figure shows how the

embedded module gains market share while USB dongles and PCMCIA loose territory.

Figure 4.6: Nokia releases slim PC with embedded module

Source: Dagens Industri, 2009

2009-08-24 14:03

30

Figure 4.7: Mobile broadband connections in Europe by device type, 2007–2014

Source: Analysys Mason, 2009

How will the revenue for each device develop?

During year 2007 when the PCMCIA modem dominated the market and since it was

mostly used by business customers it was generating most revenue for the Mobile

Network Operators (MNO). But as the device domination is shifting to other devices the

revenue generation will also change its course. The ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)

in Europe from year 2008 to 2013 according to Analysys Mason will be dominated by

USB modem users. However by the year 2014 this behavior will change as the embedded

modules will predominate the market. Analysys Mason assumes that the first embedded

modems will be bought by early adaptors, who will generate higher ARPU than users of

USB modems. But later ARPU from these modems will be lower than the one from USB

modems since the embedded modems are not possible to share between multiple devices

and will mostly be used for prepaid services. ARPU from PCMCIA will be high and

decline slower as they tend to be used by business customers. However due to low market

share for PCMCIA cards, the ARPU by the year 2014 will be modest. Figure 4.8

31

illustrates the annual revenue from all the MB devices including the ones described above

in Europe.

Figure 4.8: Annual revenue from mobile broadband by device type in

Europe, 2007–2014

Source: Analysys Mason, 2009

4.2 Mobile machine-to-machine market

Another big market for mobile broadband modules is machine-to-machine (M2M)

market. It is a technology that supports wireless communication between devices.

Machines and devices can be enabled with wireless connectivity by integrating a wireless

module or chipset at the design stage. This will make it possible for all the machines,

vehicles and devices to have access to voice and data communication via the mobile

network. A car can for example have inbuilt GPS navigation system and internet and be

able to make an emergency call when ever needed. An advanced factory machine can

become remotely controllable from any part of the world. A journalist‟s camera can send

its pictures immediately from anywhere to anywhere in the world without any internet

32

cable attached. A portable gaming console can be connected to mobile internet for online

gaming and media download or upload, and so on (unpublished source).

4.3 PEST

Political factors: different sources on internet show how the governments of different

countries are supporting the mobile broadband market. Sweden, Australia and UK are

example of countries that already have started their mission (techcrunch.com,

totaltele.com, telstraenterprise.com, 2009).

Economical factors: the world economy has been in a recession for the last couple of

years (carnegieendowment.org, 2009 & privataaffarer.se, 2008). During recession periods

people tend to save more and consume less (ezinearticles.com, 2010). Even though the

impact might have not been that high on the telecom market (ciol.com, 2010) we still see

an affect on the telecom product sales and thus the growth of the mobile broadband

market (unpublished source).

Social factors: the life style of the people, especially young and career-people is

becoming more and more mobile and internet related. It is a trend that has been going on

for a while and will continue to grow (hubpages.com, 2009). I have asked some friends

and colleagues opinion on this matter and they claim the same thing. Social networks

such as Facebook and other networking applications are very important in many peoples

daily life.

Big PC brands, like DELL, are using this trend to design customized laptops for people in

different age groups with different needs and taste for fashion (dell.com, 2009). They

record and analyze consumer purchasing patterns and use that for adapting their products

delivering higher value. Another important social factor is brand awareness. The mobile

broadband industry giants have together created a brand which will make it easier for

consumers to recognize the products and relate to them. The figure below shows the

mobile broadband logo (figure 5.1).

33

Technological factors:

Technologies competing with mobile broadband are landline or phone-line cable internet,

WiFi and WiMax, however these products are limited. Landline, WiFi and WiMax can

only be used indoors or limited outdoor areas and when provided, while mobile

broadband can be used anywhere with 3G coverage at any time.

Figure 5.1: Mobile Broadband Logo

Source: broadband-finder.co.uk, 2008

34

Chapter 5 Analysis This part gives the reader an overview of the relation between theory and collected data.

It also provides the information on opportunity findings of the MB market which makes it

easier to form conclusions and suggestions in next chapter.

5.1 PEST

PEST analysis can clarify the position, potential and direction of mobile broadband and

the market growth or decline using the following factors.

Political factors: since mobile broadband is the future of the broadband technology, the

governments of the developed countries and some developing countries are supporting

the technology. In Sweden the partly state owned operator TeliaSonera is one of the first

operators investing in developing its network to support faster mobile broadband together

with Network vendors. The Australian government is supporting its biggest operator

Telstra to become one of the providers of the fastest mobile broadband in the world.

Money is invested by some of the government of the developed countries for research of

the future mobile generation called 4G (LTE) which will provide an extremely high-

speed internet connection. A quicker transition to faster mobile internet will increase the

number of mobile internet users all over the world and thereby open new opportunities

for new markets and growing economy for these countries. Another interesting factor is

the environmental factor; using mobile broadband by modifying the existing mobile

network is efficient and environmentally friendly than providing cable internet for 6

billion people.

Economical factors: the world economy recession has been influencing even the mobile

broadband market. Not only there has been a decline of network sales for telecom

companies such as Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei but also decline in growth of the number

of MB subscribers and modems. However in some cases like in Austria where the price

of mobile internet plans are lower than land line subscription the recession might have

caused a shift to mobile broadband subscription for some customers.

Social factors: this is an important driving factor for MB evolution. The consumers have

realized the importance of being knowledgeable and “up-to-date” in order to succeed in

their careers and their lives (ezinearticles.com, 2009). Therefore they choose to have

35

access to information via internet while they are moving around, especially when this

accessibility can be provided at a lower cost today, via mobile internet and small

notebooks.

Technological factors: today are both WiFi and WiMax already recognized technologies

for consumers all over the world. This situation will change as the MB providers inform

consumers about the advantages of mobile broadband. The required change has only been

possible the last couple of years since both the technology performance and the price plan

have reached a reasonable level. Today consumers can get sufficient rate of throughput

with mobile broadband for the same amount of money as landline and that is a threat to

landline-broadband providers. On the other hand access to 3G and HSPA network is

today only possible in developed countries.

In near future, as the developing countries catch up, the innovation for constructing even

better and more advanced technology and new services will increase. There are also new

markets such as Machine to Machine communication opening specifically for embedded

MB modules.

5.2 Marketing planning

The broadband market today is still dominated by landline internet. But as the world

continues to go towards being as accessible as possible and the demand to be updated and

informed raises, the need for mobile internet communication is increasing. This need is

higher in the younger psychographic segment of the market, where people aim for good

career and better life style (technewsdaily.com). The products available today for

answering these needs are WiFi, WiMax (in some places) and mobile broadband -dongles

and -embedded modules. As the two first options are limited to certain coverage area

(mostly indoors) the only option covering both indoors and outdoors connection to

internet are dongles and embedded modules. According to Analysys Mason and other

unpublished sources, the mobile broadband dongles today are dominating the market.

However this will change in near future when embedded modules will be more accepted

by the market. Similar processes were experienced during life cycle of other

technologies‟ products prior to mobile broadband such as Bluetooth and WiFi dongles.

Today all these technologies have been integrated into laptops instead of dongles

36

presented in the early states of each technology. The price of an embedded broadband

module today is due to low production-volume higher than other competitor devices.

Nevertheless, in near future the price of these embedded modems will decrease and

customer value increase as people become more aware of the benefits of the embedded

module and start buying. It is obvious that the big providers of the embedded MB

modems need to create a trend and a demand for the embedded module by educating their

distribution channels and consumers as much as possible. Most of the MB threats come

from competitor technologies such as WiMax and landline broadband. A wider spread of

WiMax will decrease the “geographical” segments of the market. The market will shrink

to consumers who want to work outdoors where there is no WiFi or WiMax. Another

threat will be higher speed landline for lower price.

One of the biggest opportunities of the MB is the cost of upgrading the system. It is more

cost efficient to upgrade the 3G system to HSPA or HSPA+ for higher throughput than

constructing new WiMax networks. The MB technology is today one of the fastest

growing technologies in the world where the new coming generation 4G will offer very

high-speed internet connection and new opportunities. This will reduce the threats other

technologies are causing today. When it comes to the threats and opportunities for

embedded broadband module, the dongles will still dominate the market until the

following criteria are reached:

1. Distributors and consumers become aware of benefits of the embedded

module

2. The technology becomes easier to use. Today the dongle can be connected

to any PC at any time to access the mobile internet, while the module can

connect one PC only (embedded).

3. The operators start to sell embedded instead of dongles. It is easier for an

operator to sell dongles today. Cooperation between the embedded module

providers and operators can solve this issue.

4. Better marketing is needed to increase the volume of sales and decrease

the price of embedded module.

37

At the same time the opportunities of an embedded module will become more as the time

passes. As any other external technology that has been added to personal computers, the

natural evolution is to go embedded. Consumers prefer to have the technology inside

their laptops instead of a dongle hanging from it. Another rather significant opportunity

for an embedded module is that it is not only limited to laptops. The module can be

integrated into almost any machine or device that requires internet connection. Imagine

having a car, camera or play console that can connect to internet immediately from any

place. Visualize being able to communicate from a machine to another machine through

internet in any industry from any point of the world. Other features such as size-reduction

and GPS are easier to implement for an embedded module.

Therefore it is important that the mobile broadband actors have the objectives of

informing and educating the value chain and consumers as much as possible and as soon

as possible. There should be cooperation between the module providers towards PC

vendors and operator to satisfy the needs of the end-users. Hence, by finding a suitable

marketing strategy that has objectives such as selecting and targeting the concerned

market segments, reducing the price and costs, delivering the right product in a correct

way and promoting it to the right audience, the whole value-chain can perform better.

This requires a strong budget planning and a good progress which I can refer to in my

daily work at Ericsson.

5.3 Marketing strategy

5.3.1 Marketing segmentation, targeting and positioning: since people

think and behave differently and like different products it is important for a company to

find out in which segments it should put its effort in order to gain most. Segmentation

simplifies the distribution channel selection and competition awareness. I believe that a

combination of geographic and psychographic segmentation is the best combination

segments to approach for mobile broadband in the beginning. In other words, to focus

mostly on young consumers (e.g. students) and successful business minded consumers in

developed countries (where HSPA networks are available) in the beginning, and expand

both the geographic and psychographic segments when the requirements are fulfilled in

other geographical segments. Another segment consists of businesses that are developing

38

Machine-to-Machine products. It is also possible to target other segments created by

behavioral factors later on when MB embedded modules are acknowledged by the

consumers.

I find differentiated marketing to be the best option targeting strategy for Mobile

broadband. The MB modules producers must be able to position themselves by offering

different products and services to these different segments. Hence each segment requires

specific marketing mix. However the general strategy can be summarized in the

following points:

Expand mobile communication all over the world as soon as possible

Drive mobile broadband forward by producing products with high customer value

Lead network transformation to full service broadband through new technologies

5.3.2 The Marketing mix

Product: the embedded broadband module product differs depending on which segment

the producer is targeting. The MB modules manufacturers are adapting their products to

different segments‟ needs by offering a suitable product portfolio. Most of them are today

producing high performance product with high speed and futures such as GPS. However

some of them are also targeting the segments that require a compact version of the

product for MID devices and a cost efficient basic version targeting the low budget

versions of laptops and devices (unpublished source).

Price: the price of an embedded module today is almost two times higher than a dongle

which makes the promotion of the product rather difficult. This problem will however

vanish when the number of sales raises and cheaper versions of modules are introduced to

the market. OEM- (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and Operator discounts will also

have an impact on the price in future (unpublished source).

Place: in order to efficiently deliver the products to the end users, the mobile broadband

module producers need to cooperate with both the producers of the devices which hold

the module (such as laptop and MID devices) and the operators who deliver to the end

users. This is not as cost-efficient as the USB dongle which only needs to be delivered to

the operators; nevertheless a good cooperation in packaging and usage of common

39

distribution channels can help to boost the customer value and sales of embedded

modules after all (unpublished source).

Promotion: Not only advertisements showing the benefits of the embedded module

versus the dongle to all kind of customers are of great importance, but even education and

communication with internal sales, sales channels and partners via competent personnel

is essential. It is also important to use discounts and increase the public relations

(unpublished source).

5.4 Marketing implementation

Now that the strategy is showing the right things to do, the MB manufacturers need to do

things right as well. Therefore a correct marketing implementation is needed. This can be

done by creating the organization that can cover the strategies, and establishing strategic

business units with assignments and resources towards a common goal. A mission

statement therefore can be a helpful tool presenting the path to reach the goal.

5.5 Marketing control

According to Kotler & Keller (2006, page 717) the control process starts from goal

setting further to performance measurement, performance diagnosis and ending with

corrective action. It‟s a way to find out what is happening to a company on its way to

reach the goal? Why is it happening? And what should be done to improve the situation?

If a MB module producer has the goal to connect as many technical devices to internet as

possible, it should after careful strategic planning and the right Marketing mix and

implementation, also put effort on marketing control. Operating and strategic control are

the tools for finding out what is happening to a company‟s sales in the market. In general,

control-types such as annual-plan control, profitability control, efficiency control and

strategic control are essential.

40

Chapter 6 Conclusions In this chapter the key findings of this study such as threats, opportunities and strategy

activities are presented.

6.1 Answering the research questions

The objective of this study was to answer the following questions “How does the mobile

broadband device market look like today in form of different devices in the market,

competitors and their market shares?” and “How to speed up the growth of the embedded

device MB market?"

The MB market has taken off and will continue to grow for the coming years. There are

different modems in the market that help us to connect to MB today and the competition

between them is escalating. However the trend shows that as other former technologies

such as Bluetooth and WiFi, even MB will become an embedded part of different PCs,

MID devices and machines. But that day will probably not come, or will be delayed, if

proper actions in form of Marketing- analysis, planning, implementation and control are

not taken.

This study demonstrates the following threats and opportunities for today‟s MB module

market, hence the answer to the first research question.

6.1.1 Threats

The world economy due to recession has been unstable for a while and will

remain for an uncertain future

Tough competition from other technologies, such as landline broadband, WiFi

and WiMax which can offer faster connection

Consumers are not familiar with the technology and its benefits

Price competition, especially from the USB modem market

A USB modem can be connected to different PCs while a MB module can only be

used by the PC it is embedded in

41

6.1.2 Opportunities

Governmental help to develop the MB technology is provided

The latest trends and life styles; to become more connected and available with the

trendiest multimedia devices

To bee able to connect to internet anywhere, anytime both indoors and outdoors

Embedded module is easier to handle than an USB modem

Faster MB technologies such as 4G (LTE)

Other benefits of an embedded module such as GPS and voice support, etc

The module can be embedded in any device or machine that requires internet

connection

The following “strategic activities” can be recommended in order to decrease the threats

and increase the opportunities and further speed up the growth of the MB market, hence

the answer to the second research question.

Focus on the geographical and psychographic segments of the market targeting

young- and business minded consumers in the beginning and expand to other

segments as the market situation changes

Explore the machine-to-machine market and penetrate when the time is right. The

mobile broadband producers together with ODMs (Original Design

Manufacturers) need to become more active in the M2M market and find new

business partners in industries such as vehicle, gaming, optics (camera) and other

smart devices

Differentiate with additional product-features and better service

Create a proper product portfolio covering the segments requiring low price

module, high technology (e.g. HSPA+, LTE) module and small sized module.

The number of products in the portfolio should increase as the sales raise and new

segments open up

Be cost efficient by utilizing and moving along the value chain efficiently in order

to reduce the price

Actively search for new partners and clients

42

Close cooperation and communication concerning product life cycles, processes

and staff education, between different actors of the value-chain such as OEMs,

ODMs operators and retailers

Smart and simple advertisements and public-relations in order to increase the

awareness of the mobile broadband brand and products and their benefits, to

consumers

Smarter packaging by eliminating the complications brought by embedded

module. For example including a prepaid SIM-card in the end-user package

making it possible to connect the PC to mobile internet directly after purchasing

Fill the gaps in the landline broadband market with mobile broadband products

Close cooperation with operators to offer better mobile broadband packages,

postpaid, prepaid plans without complicated limits

Possibly at some point initiate cooperation with WiMax providers to offer an

automatic transfer from mobile broadband to WiMax when available in order to

reduce the costs for prepaid users

43

Finally, the Morgan Stanley graph above indicates (figure 6.1) how massive the Mobile

internet market, with a potential of 10 Billion connected units, can become compared to

other earlier significant mass-market technologies. This means that, by driving MB

market forward and increasing the number of subscribers who can access to internet

anywhere, the whole internet market will benefit and expand further. If we think about it,

there is no limit for usage of embedded mobile modules in different devices. In other

words the mobile broadband market with embedded modems can become massive.

Figure 6.1: New Computing Cycle Characteristics

Source: morganstanely.com, 2009

44

Figure 6.2: devices that can contain embedded MB module

Source: unpublished source

6.2 Reflections on my study and suggestion for future studies

This research does not only give a basic overview of today‟s MB and MB module market

to the reader but also provides valuable input to the companies working and competing in

the MB market. However due to the complexity of finding data for such a fresh subject at

the time the data was collected, and due to the rapidity of the technical development in

the MB area there is a great opportunity for further studies in this field. In that case I

hope this paper can be a good inspiration and starting point for fellow students that would

like to continue investigating in this field. If there was an opportunity to do this research

all over again I would probably use another approach to the current available data and

statistics on internet. It would be easier to concentrate on a specific part of the market

instead of working on a broader approach as I have done for this study. It also would

have been interesting to have interviews with MB marketing departments at the biggest

telecom companies if possible, to get access to the different strategies these companies

are using to compete in this fast growing market.

45

References

Literature:

Armstrong & Kotler (2006) Marketing. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall.

Bryman A. & Bell E. (2005) Företags-ekonomiska forskningsmetoder. Malmö, Liber

Ekonomi.

Kotler & Keller (2006) Marketing Management 12e. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall.

Saunders, M. Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003) Research methods for business students.

New Jersey, Prentice Hall.

Articles:

Analysys Mason, Hatton M. (2009) Mobile broadband devices: from USB modems to

where? Analysis Mason Limited, Cambridge.

Tariq M. & Jilani U.N. & Siddiqui T.A. (2007) Analysis on Fixed and Mobile WiMax.

Thesis report from Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden.

Analysys Research Limited (2008) Global Mobile Broadband: Market potential for 3G

LTE (Long Term Evolution). Analysis Research Limited, London.

Jonason A. & Eliasson G. (2001) Mobile Internet revenues: an empirical study of the I-

mode portal. MCB University Press, Stockholm Institute of Technology (KTH).

Harno J. (2008-2009) Techno-economic analysis of beyond 3G mobile technology

alternatives. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, NSN, Espoo, Finland.

Verkasalo H. (2009) Analysis of mobile internet usage among early adaptors. Emerald

Group Publishing Limited, research from Helsinki University.

Internet sources:

uSwitch.com (2008), Mobile broadband market „will grow‟, latest access (17 January

2010) : <http://www.uswitch.com/news/mobilephones/20080521/mobile-broadband-

market-will-grow/>

Astricon.net (2008), Stoke Discusses Mobile Broadband Market Outlook, latest access

(17 January 2010) : <http://www.astricon.net/topics/broadband-mobile/articles/45029-

stoke-discusses-mobile-broadband-market-outlook.htm>

46

3G.co.uk (2006), HSDPA to Take 65% of Booming Mobile Broadband Market, latest

access (17 January 2010) : <http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/June2006/3253.htm>

Inquirere.net (2007), GSMA sees huge market for mobile-broadband laptops, latest

access (17 January 2010) :

<http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=100999>

Market Research.com (2008), 2008 Asia-Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Market

Overview, latest access (17 January 2010) :

<http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?productid=1927965&g=1>

Disruptive-analysis.com (2008), Mobile Broadband Computing, latest access (17 January

2010) : <http://www.disruptive-analysis.com/mobile_broadband.htm>

Broadband Wireless Exchange Magazine (2008), Machine to Machine Broadband

Wireless Applications to Track Military Cargo in Combat Theaters, latest access (17

January 2010): <http://www.bbwexchange.com/pubs/2008/08/20/page1405-

3913397.asp>

Research and Markets (2007), Wireless M2M and Mobile Broadband Devices, latest

access (17 January 2010) :

<http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/447813/wireless_m2m_and_mobile_broad

band_devices>

3wan.net (2009), Netbooks: Ericsson has launched an embedded broadband module to

allow direct connection to HSPA, latest access (17 January 2010):

<http://sutherla.blogspot.com/2009/06/netbooks-ericsson-has-launched-embedded.html>

Telstra (2009), Mobile Broadband, latest access (17 January 2010):

<http://www.telstraenterprise.com/PRODUCTSSERVICES/MOBILITY/OFFICEMOBI

LITY/Pages/MobileBroadband.aspx>

ICT STATISTICS NEWSLOG (2009), IRISH GOVERNMENT TO EXPAND MOBILE

BROADBAND COVERAGE TO PURAL AREAS, latest access (17 January 2010):

<http://www.itu.int/ITU-

D/ict/newslog/Irish+Government+To+Expand+Mobile+Broadband+Coverage+To+Rural

+Areas.aspx>

Total telecom (2009), UK launches mobile broadband consulation, latest access (17

January 2010): <http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=449953>

TechCrunch (2009), Swedish government promises superfast broadband to all, latest

access (17 January 2010) : <http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/11/03/swedish-government-

promises-superfast-broadband-to-all/>

47

Broadband Choices (2008), Mobile broadband overtakes WiFi hotspots, latest access (17

January 2010) : <http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/mobile-broadband-overtakes-wifi-

hotspots-250908.html>

Mobile Europe (2008), Latest GSA Market Update confirms GSM market share gains

and mobile broadband breakthrough with HSPA in 2007, latest access (17 January 2010):

<http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news_wire/113586/Latest_GSA_Market_Update_confi

rms_GSM_market_share_gains_and_mobile_broadband_breakthrough_with_HSPA_in_

2007.html>

INFONETICS RESEARCH (2009), Mobile broadband cards expected to be an $8.4

billion market by 2013, latest access (17 January 2010) :

<http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2009/2-Mobile-Broadband-Cards-Routers-Market-

Highlights.asp>

POINT topic (2009), Ireland Broadband Overview, latest access (17 January 2010):

<http://point-topic.com/content/operatorSource/profiles2/ireland-broadband-

overview.htm>

TeliaSonera (2009), TeliaSonera först i världen med 4G-tjänster, latest access (17

January 2010):

<http://www.teliasonera.se/press/pressreleases/item.page?prs.itemId=463243>

Morgan Stanley‟s Mobile Internet Report, latest access (17 January 2010):

<http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/pdfs/mobile_internet_report.p

df>

Wilderdom.com (2007), Qualitative versus Quantitative Research: Key Points in a

Classic Debate, latest access (17 January 2010):

<http://wilderdom.com/research/QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch.html>

Tutor2U, Strategic planning-the link with marketing, latest access (3 November 2010)

<http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/strategy_marketing.htm>

Businessballs, Pestanalysis, latest access (3 November 2010)

<http://www.businessballs.com/pestanalysisfreetemplate.htm>

NetMBA, The marketing mix, latest access (3 November 2010)

<http://www.netmba.com/marketing/mix/>

Ezine articles, Changes of consumer behavior during a period of recession, latest access

(3 November 2010)

<http://ezinearticles.com/?Changes-of-Consumer-Behaviour-During-a-Period-of-

Recession&id=4472871>

48

Ezine articles, Internet business, latest access (3 November 2010)

<http://ezinearticles.com/?Living-the-Internet-Lifestyle---How-to-Earn-an-Excellent-

Income-in-Just-One-Hour-a-Day&id=4784562>

Privata affärer, Recession i Sverige, latest access (3 nov -10)

<http://www.privataaffarer.se/nyheter/200811/sverige-i-recession/index.xml>

Carnegie Endowment, The world in recession, latest access (3 November 2010)

<http://www.carnegieendowment.org/events/?fa=eventDetail&id=1332>

Hub pages, Mobile internet lifestyle in 2009, latest access (3 November 2010)

<http://hubpages.com/hub/Mobile-Internet-is-the-Next-Killer-Application>

TechNewsDaily, Wireless internet use soaring thanks to young people and minorities,

latest access (3 November 2010)

<http://www.technewsdaily.com/wireless-internet-use-soaring-thanks-to-young-people-

and-minorities-0824/>