A new report by research firm ABI has predicted that between 2010 and 2014 the yearly sales figures for products compatible with mobile broadband will jump significantly. It believes that in four years time over 58 million portable products will be sold with built-in mobile broadband connectivity, which is 55 times the number of equivalent devices sold back in 2008.

The leap in sales will be driven by various factors, including falling wireless broadband prices, but will largely occur as ever more manufacturers integrate mobile broadband connectivity into a wider number of devices.

ABI expects to see producers of eBook Readers, handheld gaming devices, laptops and portable media players begin to add in mobile broadband connectivity where before they would have used Wi-Fi instead. Mobile broadband has obvious benefits over Wi-Fi as you do not have to find an unsecured wireless network to start using the internet and mobile broadband covers a significantly wider area than all the Wi-Fi hot spots in the UK.

At the moment any mobile broadband connection requires that a device is tethered to a certain network, so when you buy a dongle you will need to then commit yourself to a major provider. However, ABI believes that in the future there could be far more freedom in this area and that monthly wireless broadband prices could be ditched in favour of products which have the cost of the connection built into the one-off price, leaving consumers free to use it without worrying about minimum contracts or data allowances.

ABI’s Jeff Orr commented that network providers would have to adapt their business models and payment schemes to fit in with the changes that are coming in the mobile broadband market place. Simon Gerrard of Simple Broadband agreed, concluding that “the popularity and performance of mobile broadband can only improve, so things are looking very good for consumers.”

The Ford motor company has produced a new and unique system for its range of future vehicles which integrates mobile broadband to create a broadband connection for drivers wherever they roam.

The SYNC system is one of the most advanced communications systems as yet to be installed in a car, capable of using a 3G mobile broadband receiver to connect the vehicle to the internet. In addition the SYNC system will broadcast a Wi-Fi signal, producing a wireless hotspot on wheels.

Obvious applications of mobile broadband whilst driving include the ability to receive live traffic updates, as well as accessing entertainment functions including music and video streaming to keep the driver informed and the kids happy.

The mobile broadband connection will also allow the driver to make voice calls without needing a mobile phone with them and when stationary they should also be able to browse the internet, check emails and even instant message.

The SYNC system has avoided the one major pitfall which it could have faced by allowing users to plug in their own mobile broadband dongles to get connected, rather than tethering them to a single provider with an expensive built-in connection.

Ford President Mark Fields spoke of the conveniences that the SYNC system would offer. He gave the example of a family driving to a grandparents house, with one parent at the wheel whilst the other shopped online for the groceries and the kids were kept busy by talking to their pals online.

The SYNC system will be made available to customers in the US purchasing new vehicles some time in 2010, although news of its migration to the UK is not yet forthcoming.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager Simon Gerrard added “this is a very interesting development from Ford and once SYNC is available in the UK, we should expect that a Vodafone mobile broadband USB dongle could be used to get online whilst on the road.”

A new survey from mobile telephone and broadband provider Orange has predicted a shift in the population densities within the UK as a result of broadband availability in the future.

The report asked many people how they would respond to the universal availability of broadband and whether they would consider moving further afield if they were guaranteed a high speed broadband connection.

A majority of the respondents believed that universal broadband availability, provided predominantly via mobile broadband networks in the most rural regions, would indeed encourage them to up sticks and leave their current locations.

The availability of mobile broadband in Scotland and the South West of England would attract many new residents to these areas according to the report. Conversely a small exodus from the Midlands and the North East is anticipated by the results.

The main attraction of high speed broadband connectivity in areas currently underrepresented by the technology is the opportunities for remote working it affords. A mobile broadband connection that was fast enough to enable someone to work from home with equal effectiveness to that achieved by working in an office could completely change the face of the UK’s largest cities.

Orange’s Robert Ainger commented that the survey anticipates this population shift and forecasts a revolution in the way that people work. The survey data has been used to produce an interactive map which is available to the public online. Visitors are able to select an area to which they might consider moving and find detailed information as to how broadband availability is likely to change there over the coming years.

The news not only suggests that some of the cheapest mobile broadband in UK rural areas could soon become available, but that the potential savings for businesses as a result of the change in working patterns could be in the tens of billions of pounds.

Industry regulator Ofcom has revealed figures which show that the price of broadband in the UK is considerably lower than in the majority of other nations around the world.

The recent report analysed figures from various developed nations including Germany and Italy, identifying that the cost of most digital TV, home phone, broadband and mobile services is lower in the UK than anywhere else.

The figures concluded that a family of four in the UK could pay as little as £108 for mobile phones, broadband, home phone and TV packages to cover the entire household. This includes an 8Mbps broadband connection and mobile phones for every member of the family.

Deals covering all of these services in a bundle, which is usually the cheapest way in which families can pay for them, would cost customers in Italy 28 per cent more. In terms of value, Italy is the UK’s closest rival, although the gap in average prices is significant.

Ofcom’s CEO Ed Richards indicated that the low price of broadband in the UK was due to a highly competitive market. With BT broadband deals and bundles competing with comparable packages from Virgin Media and Tiscali, prices are likely to stay low and continue to fall in the UK over the coming months.

Mr Richards also cited innovation within the UK broadband industry as key to its continued success and the wide availability of digital services despite recent criticism of government plans for the future.

In other research from Ofcom, it was discovered that over 35 per cent of all UK households take advantage of BT broadband deals or similar in order to receive additional services including home phone and digital TV from a single provider.

Schools around the UK are being encouraged to introduce pupils to the extensive educational and informative power of the internet and mobile broadband is being proposed as one of the key technologies to provide the youngest members of society with suitable access.

In particular one school in Cheshire is focusing on mobile broadband for their students after seeking the aid of the e-Learning Foundation. The Alderman Bolton Primary School is now hoping to receive support from T-Mobile in order to provide the kids with a fast and flexible broadband connection that they can use at home as well as in school.

A senior member of staff said that the pupils had been given instructions on the basic principles and operation of mobile broadband technology. They had then been able to demonstrate the benefits to their parents and many families have now invested in mobile broadband as a result.

Broadband access in the home and at schools has become a very important part of everyday life according to a spokesperson for the e-Learning Foundation. The positive elements of mobile broadband, with its applications as a practical, educational facilitator for communication and socialising amongst youngsters are seen to be increasingly important by teachers, parents and government officials.

There might be some who would consider these seemingly benevolent acts by the big networks as little more than marketing campaigns to hook children who will the use pester power to get their parents to invest in mobile broadband. However, it might be useful to teach children and parents alike the best way in which to compare wireless broadband prices whilst they are learning the ropes using mobile broadband technology, as this will ensure that everyone is getting the most out of the technology.

LTE has been trialled by O2 at its Slough-based UK headquarters. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and refers to the planned next generation of mobile broadband technology that will hopefully be available to UK customers over the next couple of years.

On paper the trials sound very exciting indeed. O2 has partnered with Huawei, the firm that produces the majority of the mobile broadband dongles currently used by mobile broadband customers and it claims that the successful tests of LTE in Slough provided download speeds of up to 150Mbps.

Obviously this sounds to be very good news for everyone, although the roll out of LTE networking technology around the UK is not expected to begin in earnest for a couple of years. When it finally arrives it will mean better download speeds without a fixed line connection and many consider mobile broadband to be the most financially viable next generation broadband technology because it does not require that streets are dug up to lay cables with the associated disruption.

If this is indeed the case, traditional fixed line broadband ISPs could face stiff competition in the coming years and an all-out exodus to the more convenient and faster LTE services might even be on the cards. BT broadband options will be seeing improvements over the coming years with fibre to the cabinet technology providing faster broadband speeds to many customers, but it is the flexibility of mobile broadband’s next generation that could see it dominating the marketplace.

LTE technology is already commercially available in Sweden, with network provider TeliaSonera having launched the service for customers only recently. For the moment, the UK is lagging behind with this cutting edge connectivity, but O2’s trials could well generate some sense of urgency in the broadband market, accelerating evolution.

According to an industry source, an unprecedented number of mobile broadband customers now utilise their service as their primary broadband connection.

Most industry experts and business users think of mobile broadband as a supplementary service, aimed at plugging the connectivity gap when users are on the road and assuming that a majority of customers have a fixed line service to use when they are at home.

Official figures released by Ofcom suggest that over 40 per cent of mobile broadband customers actually consider the service to be their main broadband connection. These results however require some context in order to fully appreciate their impact.

The figures released by the industry regulator show that just 6 per cent of all broadband customers have a mobile broadband contract and no fixed line alternative. On the other hand there are only 8 percent of broadband customers who have both a fixed line service and a mobile broadband contract for use when they are away.

Mobile broadband is one of the more popular technologies amongst the younger audience, with one in ten adults under the age of 35 using a mobile broadband connection as their primary means of gaining online access. Affluence is also becoming associated with mobile broadband as it is often comparatively expensive when considered against a fixed line alternative if it is to be chosen as the sole internet connection.

Although wealth and mobile broadband are associated, lower earners are also a growing element of the market with around 8 per cent of homes bringing in under £12,000 relying on mobile broadband alone to connect to the internet. Those with a tight budget who need to compare wireless broadband prices to ensure that they are getting the best deal are being enticed by the potential savings they could make and by the fact that mobile broadband does not require line rental payments.

A recent study by a price comparison site has disclosed new information suggesting that mobile broadband trends are shifting, with more users choosing pay-as-you-go packages over fixed term contract deals.

The survey of market trends in October 2009 found that 53 per cent of people who picked up a mobile broadband contract online chose to go for a package that they could top up. This is the first time that pay monthly contracts have been less popular than the pay-as-you-go alternatives.

It is believed that wireless broadband prices for pay monthly mobile broadband contracts are not necessarily at the heart of the statistics, but rather that the move to pay-as-you-go deals is being influenced by the shorter commitment period offered by the deals.

Broadband expert Rob Webber indicated that the popularity of pay-as-you-go mobile broadband had been steadily increasing for the last 12 months, with a sharp rise occurring in the second half of 2009.

Mr Webber explained that the trend looks set to continue throughout the run up to Christmas as mobile broadband would be picked up by many as a gift for a family member. The flexibility of pay-as-you-go mobile and the one-off up-front price for the services is likely to make it the gift of choice for the foreseeable future.

Mobile broadband is commonly purchased as an addition to an existing home broadband connection, used by those who want to access the internet when they are away from home. For sporadic or occasional use, pay-as-you-go mobile broadband has obvious benefits over fixed term contracts, although the best wireless broadband prices per megabyte are still to be found on pay monthly contracts. The need for correct comparison and careful consideration of individual requirements is highlighted by the market shift.

Virgin Media has released a new mobile broadband service which should allow customers to connect to the internet at speeds of up to 7.2Mbps.

It appears that this is made possible thanks to a brand new USB mobile broadband dongle being included as part of Virgin Media’s various pay monthly contracts, which should help it to compete with the new Orange mobile broadband free laptop deals and regain some lost customers.

Virgin Media does not operate its own networks, but utilises the T-Mobile 3G cellular infrastructure to provide mobile broadband to customers around the UK.

The Head of mobile technology at Virgin Media said in a statement that he hoped the new service would allow even more people to get online when they were away from their homes or out of range of any Wi-Fi hotspots. He also said that the improved capabilities of the new dongle would hopefully make the mobile broadband experience more enjoyable for all customers.

Critics have pointed out that although Virgin Media are advertising the new service as capable of up to 7.2Mbps download speeds, the T-Mobile website states that their networks can provide a maximum speed of 4.5Mbps. It seems that Virgin Media could be falling foul of the same zealous and misleading advertising schemes for which most other mobile broadband providers have been criticised in the recent past.

For the time being the new USB modem is more expensive than its slower counterpart and since the speed gains in the real world could be negligible it is not necessarily going to be the speed that helps the service to sell. It is the Orange mobile broadband free laptop deals rather than the performance of its networks that have allowed it to make significant gains in the market and other providers would do well to follow Orange’s example.

The Digital Britain report and the Digital Economy Bill are still the cause of significant debate within the mobile broadband industry. Although some discussion focuses as to whether wireless broadband prices will fall as mobile broadband becomes more popular, it is the policy of disconnection as punishment for those who download files illegally and breach copyright legislation which has stirred up the greatest public interest.

Petitions, protests and political showdowns have surrounded the plans to cut off repeat file sharing offenders, but it seems that in practice, enforcing these measures against mobile broadband customers could be much more difficult than anticipated.

It has emerged that industry experts recognise the threat posed to home broadband users, whose online activities are easily traceable back to their own property thanks to the process by which IP addresses are assigned. However, since mobile broadband users all access the web via a single public IP address, targeting anyone individually for downloading copyrighted material would be completely impossible.

It is weaknesses and loopholes like this that have virtually destroyed public confidence in the viability of the Digital Economy Bill. It seems that wireless broadband prices are set to continue their downward trend as many more people sign up for mobile broadband and mobile data use becomes far more common for mobile phone owners as well.

Although protests currently surrounding the bill are aimed to protect the rights of households with multiple users, with the misdemeanours of a single member possibly resulting in a suspension of broadband service affecting everyone under the same roof, there is a possibility that the anonymity offered by mobile broadband could result in a file sharing exodus to the wireless platform. In the past, file sharing over mobile broadband was infeasible because of stringent data limits, but with providers such as Orange offering uncapped services between 12pm-6pm the chance of increased file sharing activity is growing.