Evolution in Broadband Technology and Future of Wireless Broadband - Adoption, Usage, and Global Impact of Broadband Technologies - page 215

Chapter 14
Evolution in Broadband
Technology and Future
of Wireless Broadband

Banani Nandi
AT&T Shannon Laboratories 1 , USA

Ganesh K. Subramaniam
AT&T Shannon Laboratories, USA

ABSTRACT

In the last two decades, the availability of worldwide high speed Internet networks together with pro-
gressive deployment and adoption of broadband connections to Internet has significantly enhanced the
ability to transmit video, audio and voice through the same channel with high performance. In addition
to that, since the beginning of this millennium, there has been a rapid growth in diffusion of wireless
broadband. In this respect, mobile broadband is gaining popularity lately in both developing as well as
developed countries. The main reason for this growth in wireless broadband lies in its ability to serve
remote areas at relatively lower cost than landline and its potential to transmit information seamlessly
from anywhere in the world. The purpose of this chapter is to examine this changing diffusion behavior
of fixed versus mobile broadband technology and highlight the future possible path of adoption for these
technologies by users around the world.

INTRODUCTION

Internet network together with progressive
deployment and penetration of broadband (BB)
connection to Internet has significantly enhanced
the capacities of transmitting video, audio and
voice through the same channel with high perfor-
mance. However, in the early part of last decade,
BB connection was limited only to fixed access
technology. Since then, the rapid growth of mobile
devices for both business and personal use has
significantly enhanced the demand for wireless
multimedia services such as data, voice and video.

Explosive innovation in information technology
and rapid expansion of mobile communications
are changing the way we access and transmit
information, bringing significant efficiency gain
in our socio-economic activities. In the last two
decades, availability of worldwide high speed