And some far-sighted operators are even seeing the limitations to HSDPA and looking to other technologies - namely HSUPA and Mobile WiMax - to boost 3G performance and appeal to a wider range of users.
As well as giving network operators more capacity for voice calls, upgrades to HSDPA will mean faster speeds for mobile internet access - up to more than 10Mbps, theoretically - as well as backward compatibility with GSM.
With the launch of 3.5G following so soon after most operators launched their 3G networks - in some cases, a little over a year later - IDC believes the sudden shift towards HSDPA could be a signal operators are trying to put up a bulwark against...
The Association, which represents the mobile industry, reported that 79 mobile operators are building, or have built, an HSDPA network. Five months ago, only 47 operators had embraced HSDPA, which is also known as Super 3G.
In all other respects the device is the same as the US version, minus the lower capacity 4GB alternative and no 3G, despite speculation that that phone would take advantage of the better HSDPA network that exists in the UK.
In the not too distant future, you will be able to add 3G Long Term Evolution (LTE), mobile WiMax, multiple in multiple out (MiMo) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) to the mix. H is for HSDPA
Did you find this white paper useful? 4 out of 7 users found this white paper useful
White Paper RSS
Download
Register
