France Telecom’s Orange mobile phone service says usage of its mobile broadband service almost doubled in the last quarter. Orange said the mobile broadband growth is due to the increase in mobile computing devices, specifically those which can access its mobile broadband service such as external modem dongles which plug in to a PC’s USB port and to smartphones.
Also helping the growth, Orange said, are new price plans such as one-price-for-unlimited-use plans that are designed to make mobile Internet service attractive to consumers.
Orange said the number of subscriptions for dongle-based services increased 2,139% in the three-month period from November 2007 to January 2008.
Subscribers are using the mobile broadband as evidenced by mobile search increasing 30% with local search increasing by 100%. Paul Jevons, Orange’s director of products, portals and services, said the report shows “a transition in mobile similar to what is taking place on the Web.”
He said mobile broadband is no longer simply a channel for companies to deliver packaged content in a manner of their choosing. Instead, he said, “Mobile broadband has become a truly interactive channel that fosters the formation of communities.” It delivers content that is personally tailored to the individual so customers can access the services they want, how and when they want them, he said.
As proof of that the company pointed to the increased use of social networks on mobile devices. Orange said consumers are using mobile broadband services to access the content they want, quicker and easier than ever before.