Posted: 02nd Dec, 2008 By: MarkJ
A new report published by
Tariff Consultancy - '
Mobile broadband pricing 2009', reveals that the data usage allowances offered with such services has doubled from 1.8GB (GigaBytes) one year ago to 3.9GB today. Falling prices have also been another factor in helping to make the service both more attractive and a greater threat to established land-line broadband ISPs.
The report, using data collected from 33 countries across Eastern and Western Europe, concludes with the following findings:
- Mobile Broadband flat rate bundles are now the norm across Europe and are the most common form of price package.
- The most common monthly user allowance price point on offer across Europe is now 5GB and 10GB, closely followed by 1GB and 500MB allowances.
- There are at least 20 mobile operators across all countries which are now offering an unlimited user allowance for their Mobile Broadband service.
- Pricing in 2008 has fallen by an average of 4% across all countries when compared with the previous year even though average user allowances have more than doubled.
- 80% of Mobile Broadband operators in Europe charge a Per MB out of monthly allowance for national traffic - with charges ranging up to 3.27 Euros per MB, although typical rates are between 10 and 20 Euro cents.
- Average Mobile Broadband prices have fallen by as much as 53%, 43% and 35% in Latvia, Austria and the UK respectively over the past year.
- In Ireland, Germany, Sweden and Spain average Mobile Broadband prices are now significantly lower than the most popular fixed line DSL Broadband service, which is driving customers to the mobile Broadband offer.
However Tariff Consultancy's Managing Director, Margrit Sessions, warns mobile operators (MNOs) not to over-sell the service. Doing so could risk problems with limited network capacity and result in poor performance.