Tablet sales mean far more mobile broadband devices

A report has determined that sales of tablets will give a massive boost to the the number of mobile broadband devices around.

Impressive sales of slates following in the wake of Apple’s iPad products are set to push a 57.8 percent increase in the amount of net connected devices – aside from smartphones – being shipped.

This means that shipments are expected to jump to 157.9 million units this year, up from 100.1 million in 2010. Demand for other devices such as ultrabooks and e-readers also accounts for the large increase in mobile broadband devices.

The growth also comes on the back of a similarly impressive performance last year with a 57.4 percent rise showing how popular web connected devices have become in recent years. It certainly seems like a long time since Steve Jobs first announced the original iPad – a large factor in driving this growth.

And it’s thought that shipments will continue to increase in the next few years, though at a slower rate according to IHS iSuppli. Growth in shipments is expected to slow to 38.1 percent next year, before eventually hitting 11.0 percent in 2015.

Tablets represent the fastest growing mobile broadband device, with shipments expected to reach 58.9 million units , a 293 percent increase from 17.4 million last year.

“More than any wireless device, media tablets – exemplified by the best-selling iPad from Apple – appear to be at the forefront in boosting mobile broadband,” said Francis Sideco, Principal Analyst for wireless research at IHS.

“Affecting everything from supply ecosystems to chipset design, to services, applications and business models, tablets are spurring innovation not just in the wireless sector but also across multiple industries.”

“The excitement surrounding tablets is primarily due to the virtually unlimited range of value-added services and applications that may be delivered through tablets because of their wireless networking capability.”

“Whether tablets have built-in Wi-Fi or come with embedded 3G/4G chips, the wireless function of tablets enables them to transcend just merely being another cool gadget into a virtual storefront, with the potential to generate revenue for any number of downstream businesses and industries.”

The growth is also driven by advances in broadband technology, with the use of 4G speeds making mobile computing ever more attractive (in the US and areas which have the tech up and running).

By 2015 iSuppli reckons that the majority of devices will be reaching such high speeds.

Sideco noted: “Growth in mobile broadband devices will drive an explosive increase in mobile data traffic, causing carriers to rapidly rethink their strategies for network and service deployments as well as data monetization.”

“And as new players target the mobile device market, existing players at every node of the communications value chain will need to continually evolve their business strategies. Failure to do so in this dynamic market, with continually changing paradigms, will cause even well-established players to be relegated quickly to marginal roles.”