Mobile broadband has a higher positive impact than fixed broadband on economic growth, particularly in developing nations, according to a new report from the World Bank and infoDev, its technology innovation program. In some countries, such as Colombia, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam, mobile broadband is already the main broadband access method, and has passed fixed lines by more than 10 times in the two African countries and almost three times in Vietnam.
The World Bank recommends that governments ensure sufficient availability of quality spectrum for deployment of cost-effective mobile broadband networks, especially LTE, which has flexible spectrum characteristics. The Bank also wants regulators to eliminate technological or service restrictions on spectrum and make frequencies technology neutral. On the demand side, the Bank encourages operators to consider prepaid packages and flexible tariffs to encourage affordable usage.
At the other end of the broadband uptake scale, South Korea is the first country in the world to surpass 100% wireless broadband penetration, according to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) It has 100.6 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
The study covers high speed smartphone plans and data-only wireless devices such as dongles and fixed CPE. Across all 34 OECD countries, wireless broadband subscriptions have grown by 13% over the past six months, and now total 667m. The country grouping reflects the advanced face of internet access, with its members including Japan, Finland, the US, the UK and Sweden.
Sweden is only just behind Korea, with 98% penetration, followed by Finland on 87.8% and Japan on 82.4%. The US rated 76.1% while the average across the 34 nations was 54.3%. The lowest scores were seen in Mexico (7.7%), Turkey with 8.9% and Hungary, on 12.9%.
In other surveys, Korea has been found to have the world’s highest average download speeds too, while the US lies in twenty-seventh place in that league table, according to CNet.