HSPA/LTE devices accounted for 17.3 per cent of the total number of broadband connections in Europe at the end of 2009. So says the analyst, Berg Insight. The number of HSPA/LTE mobile broadband (connected PC) subscribers grew by 71 per cent year-on-year in 2009 to reach 25m, and is forecast to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.6 per cent to 81m by 2015. The N. American market has so far evolved at a slower pace, with mobile broadband accounting for just 7.1 per cent of the total number of connections. Between 2009 and 2015, the N. American market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 34.8 per cent to reach 42m subscribers by 2015.

The levels of adoption of mobile broadband vary significantly across Europe. Austria is the most advanced market, with a penetration rate of over 15 per cent, corresponding to 40 per cent of all broadband connections in the country. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Portugal also have penetration rates above 10 per cent, while Belgium, the Netherlands and Greece all have penetration rates of less than 3 per cent.”

Marcus Persson, telecom analyst at Berg Insight, predicts that mobile broadband connectivity will eventually become a standard feature in portable PCs which will have integrated wireless modems, enabling them to connect to the best available network. He says: “The attach rate of embedded mobile broadband in notebooks was less than 5 per cent in both Europe and N. America last year. This will change as prices for the embedded modules decrease and an attach rate of almost 45 per cent is expected in five years.”

Huawei has established itself as the world’s largest supplier of mobile broadband terminals, with a market share of 53 per cent, and a particularly strong foothold in Europe. ZTE is the second largest vendor, with a 30 per cent market share. Berg Insight estimates the total global number of shipped external mobile broadband devices in 2009 to 66m, with Europe and N. America accounting for 24.3m units and 5.6m units respectively.