Broadband Services and Applications in the 4G Era

Questions Answered by this Report

• How should we define 4G?
• What are 4G applications and services likely to be?
• What will be the key applications and services in the 4G space?
• What will be the key growth drivers?
• Which key issues and inhibitors will need to be overcome before the 4G applications market reaches its full potential?
• What is the respective status of WiMAX and LTE in terms of current and future deployments?
• What are the key differences between LTE and WiMAX in the upcoming 4G applications space?
• What are the respective advantages and disadvantages of using LTE or WiMAX to support 4G applications?
• Who will be the key 4G players?
• Which business and pricing models should we expect to see?
• Which strategy toward 4G applications are the future leading players likely to adopt?

As most carriers are still in an exploring phase, activity and anticipation surrounding which types of 4G mobile applications and services, pricing and business models they will use on their upcoming 4G networks is quickly mounting. 4G services, which are likely to be extended and improved versions of existing 3G services, will be available seamlessly across various wireless technologies (LTE, Wi-Fi, UWB, WiMAX, etc.) and device types (cell phones, laptops, e-readers, PNDs, digital cameras, printers, tablet PCs, etc.) with the same QoS anytime, anywhere.

As carriers continue to roll out more capable and affordable 3G smartphones (like the US$99 iPhone) featuring truer web browsers (based on WebKit, Gecko), wider screens, better processors, better storage capacity (hard drive), and embedded with touchscreen UI, and multitasking capabilities, this should help drive the adoption of the upcoming 4G application and services. Carriers are continuing to open up their walled gardens, migrate toward an open network environment, and adopt more appealing and snackable data plans (unlimited data plans with unlimited use of Web, LBS, messaging, music, video, social networking services, daily/weekly data passes) to be used across various device types, which will also be key growth drivers.

We will see killer devices along the lines of the iPhone, Palm Pre, G1/G2 phones, and the Storm, which will help drive adoption of future 4G applications and services. Next generation applications such as wireless VoIP, e-readers apps, mobile IPTV, M2M apps (e.g. smart grids), and location-aware mobile apps/services embedded with social networking and user-generated content capabilities are likely to become key applications in the upcoming 4G apps space.

We expect carriers in the 4G ecosystem them to develop business models and pricing options to be used across multiple devices, allowing users to share their minutes with family members. Providing users with a universal login, especially for the mobile web, is also likely to become a must-have.

Mobile app stores are set to become a key distribution channel for upcoming 4G applications. Ultimately, this could end up being a godsend for carriers during a time when disruptive applications like Skype are threatening their voice ARPU. That said, solving cross-mobile app store interoperability issues and content discovery issues (as more content becomes available) will become critical. Adding enhanced content discovery tools (peer-to-peer recommendations, location awareness, enhanced mobile search engines, etc.) to existing mobile app stores should play a key role here.

We have identified several issues that will need to be overcome before the future 4G apps market reaches its full potential. These include handset limitation, the poor user experience on many feature phones, the need for sustainable and profitable 4G business models/plans and pricing models, mobile discovery issues, privacy and security issues, increased fragmentation, and a lack of standards. Other issues include the low penetration and high cost of data plans and services, and the lack of awareness when it comes to certain mobile data services.

Applications reviewed in detail in the report include:

• Location??]based Services
• VoIP
• MMS
• Mobile IPTV
• Social Networking Services/User??]generated Content
• Mobile Marketing and Advertising
• E??]reader Apps/Phones
• Wireless VoIP Apps
• M2M Apps
• Telematics
• AND MANY MORE!