According to Vodafone, smartphone usage on its network will increase from 20% in 2009 to 50% in 2011. Such an increase is a result of the increasingly popular Android operating system, which offers a wide selection of handset options across contract and PAYG deals, as well as the ever popular iPhone.
The increase in popularity of smartphone devices isn't a major surprise, given the benefits smartphones bring to the end user. With an improved web browsing experience, a strong set of handset features and the almost limitless options that can be added with third party applications.
Whilst smartphones bring immense benefit to the end user, networks are struggling to cope with the demands such devices put on network resources. Firstly, the more complicated devices are proving ever more difficult to support by customer services, as new users struggle to come to terms with all the things their new phone can do.
Secondly, networks are struggling to cope with the drain on network resources that smartphones demand, with the iPhone cited as a particular problem. The iPhone uses significantly more network resources than some other traditional smartphones, and this demand on capacity is starting to tell. Already the American network which sells the iPhone, AT&T has gained a poor reputation with some users due to capacity issues, and in the UK, O2 have also had problems with the iPhone. The demands smartphones are putting on networks has recently led to a change in data plans bundled with tariffs, with all networks now capping the amount of data users can access before they have to start paying extra, a move designed to make users more aware of the data amounts they are using.
All networks are working hard to increase network range, coverage and capacity, but the explosion in popularity of smartphone devices is leaping ahead of their abilities to cope. Only by the networks and smartphone manufacturers working together will the problem be headed off, but knowing how some manufacturers manage their products, such close collaboration isn't guaranteed.
10:41 am
I think the telecommunications companies should invest more on their network resources if they want their sales to continue increasing. People might just become pissed off if network clogging is not addressed as soon as possible. Putting limits on the number of smart phones sold could let them avoid this problem but they will have to contend with decreased profit.