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Press Release - WiFi phones will grow mobile market - Senza Fili

by Staff Writer | posted on 25 January 2005

WiFi and cellular convergence subscribers to reach 55 million by 2010, according to Senza Fili Consulting report

UMA opens the door to WiFi and cellular convergence with mobile operators expected to launch service in 2006.

18 January 2005 – WiFi and cellular convergence is about to hit the mainstream, with mobile operators planning to deploy UMA services over the next 12 months, according to a new report from Senza Fili Consulting, a consultancy focused on wireless data technologies and services.

The report, UMA and Beyond: Mobile Operators Benefit from WiFi and Cellular Convergence, estimates the revenues from WiFi and cellular convergence services to be $1.6 billion by 2010 in the US alone, with over 26 million subscribers. “North America will be the largest and one of the first markets to launch UMA services,” said Monica Paolini, author of the report, “Mobile operators see WiFi and cellular convergence as a cost-effective way to improve residential coverage, increase ARPU, and keep churn down.”

Worldwide demand for WiFi and cellular converged services will reach 55 million by 2010. Western Europe, Japan and Korea will be key UMA markets and, as broadband penetration grows, China will quickly become a very attractive market.

UMA enables GSM mobile operators to offer fully converged connectivity using their existing core network. Subscribers will be able to seamlessly roam from the cellular network to a WLAN, maintaining their call as they move from one to the other.

“It is a simple and effective technology that enables mobile operators to roll out the solution in the short term,” Paolini explained, “But mobile operators and manufacturers need to develop a clear transition path to a SIP-based architecture, which will make it easier to extend the service to other wireless technologies, like CDMA, EV-DO, WiMAX or FLASH-OFDM, and to include advanced IMS-based services.”

The report assesses the technology and market potential of UMA and other WiFi and cellular convergence solutions in the residential, enterprise, and hotspot market. It includes an extensive forecast of worldwide demand and revenues for converged WiFi and cellular services, and an in-depth analysis of the effect that WiFi and cellular convergence will have on traffic over fixed and cellular lines.

Report overview

“UMA and Beyond: Mobile operators benefit from WiFi and Cellular Convergence” provides a comprehensive assessment of the UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) technology and WiFi and cellular convergence. This report from Senza Fili Consulting presents a clear, concise overview of the technology, and explores the market drivers that will lead to adoption. To help service providers and vendors size the opportunity, it includes a forecast of the market demand and revenue opportunity for UMA services.

Topics covered

UMA technology overview

Standardization efforts

Drivers to adoption in different geographic markets, with forecasts of user demand

Services for the residential and enterprise market

The opportunity for mobile operators

The competitive threat to fixed operators and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service providers

The role of handset manufacturers

Extensive forecasts (2006-2010)

Worldwide demand for WiFi and Cellular Convergence services

Impact of WiFi and Cellular Convergence on subscriber usage of fixed and cellular lines (including analysis of effect on MoU from home and away from home, on metered and unmetered calls)

Revenues from WiFi and Cellular Convergence services, including revenues gained by mobile operators (taking into account the effect of cannibalization), and revenues lost by fixed operators

All your key questions answered

When will UMA handsets will be available and how much will they cost?

What is the timeline for deployment?

Will subscribers pay for UMA services? How much is UMA worth to them?

What is the effect of broadband and WiFi penetration on UMA demand?

Will users be able to use UMA phones in hotspots? Is this a key adoption driver?

What is UMA and how it relates to other ongoing standardization efforts, such as 3GPP (The Third Generation Partnership Project) and IEEE 802.21?

How can UMA guarantee quality of service (QoS)?

How (and when) will UMA move towards SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and all-IP networks?

How this report will help you

Mobile operators – understand the opportunity offered by WiFi and cellular convergence and learn how to take full advantage of it

Fixed and VoIP service providers – evaluate the competitive threat posed by UMA and develop an alternative WiFi convergence strategy

Vendors – assess the demand, and establish a timeline, for WiFi and cellular converged handsets and find more about the mobile operators requirements

Investors, consultants, regulators – get a better understanding of the WiFi cellular convergence ecosystem and a new perspective on the potential of the technology

This report offers a timely, in-depth analysis into one of the hottest emerging areas in the cellular and WiFi industry. It is essential reading for those evaluating UMA and those who want to stay at the forefront of technological innovation in mobile telecommunications.

About the author

Monica Paolini is the founder of Senza Fili Consulting. She is an expert in wireless technologies and has helped clients worldwide to understand technology and customer requirements, evaluate business plan opportunities, market their services, and estimate the market size and revenue opportunity of specific services. She has frequently been invited to give presentations at conferences, and has written several reports and white papers on wireless broadband technologies. She can be contacted at monica.paolini@senza-fili.com.