Effective October 1, 2012, QUALCOMM Incorporated completed a corporate reorganization in which the assets of certain of its businesses and groups, as well as the stock of certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, were contributed to Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of QUALCOMM Incorporated. Learn more about these changes

You are here

Home › Connect › Public Policy › Policy Guide › Mobile Broadband

Mobile Broadband

Mobile broadband can transform virtually every facet of modern life. Mobile broadband networks, devices, applications, and services are all helping to drive economic prosperity and opportunity around the world—in ways that no one ever imagined. We think everyone should have access to this transformative technology—anywhere, anytime.

Mobile networks have become the biggest technology platform in the history of mankind. Today, there are 5.35 billion wireless connections1—more than 1.21 billion of them on 3G networks.2 Here are a few additional interesting statistics:

  • 3G will enable more than 90 percent of mobile broadband subscribers by 2014 (Industry analyst forecasts, January 2011)
  • The industry added 1 billion connections in 18 months, of which 40 percent were 3G (Wireless Intelligence, October 2010)
  • 3G subscriptions are expected to reach 3.1 billion by 2015, representing a 155 percent increase from 2010 (Wireless Intelligence, Q4. 2010)

In the U.S., more than 95 percent of all Americans have access to at least one mobile broadband network. We support increasing that figure to 100 percent as quickly as possible.

Emerging markets are increasingly driving the growth of 3G, with more than 50 percent of 3G shipments expected to go to these areas in 2011.

The benefits of expanding mobile broadband in developing countries are profound. Today, broadband penetration in most developing countries is below five percent. 3G is the key to bringing broadband to the masses and bridging the digital divide. And for many people, their mobile device will be the first computer they ever have.

Additional Resources on Broadband

1 Wireless Intelligence, January 2011
2 Wireless Intelligence, Q4. 2010