The latest study from Juniper Research has revealed that 722 Million business mobile Internet connections will be in use worldwide by 2014, with approximately 80% of those being delivered via 3G/4G ( Mobile Broadband ) networks (we assume the rest is Wi-Fi or something similar).

Throughout, mobile phone handsets will dominate, accounting for upwards of 70% of business devices in the latter part of the period. However, businesses will increasingly make use of embedded and plug-in Mobile Broadband USB Modems (dongles) via laptop and netbook PCs.


The report claims that Mobile Broadband USB Modem's are apparently proving easy to lose or damage, and suggests that this is one reason why businesses will increasingly turn to inexpensive notebooks incorporating wireless accesses. We're not sure this is cheaper than a £30 USB Modem but each to their own.

Other findings include:

• Usage of wireless USB Modems (dongles) is losing ground to usage of devices with embedded wireless modems and will peak in 2010/2011
• The number of enterprise portable computers with embedded wireless connectivity will grow by more than 300% between 2008 and 2014
• Annual portable computer shipment volumes will exceed 300 million by 2014, accounting for over three quarters of all computer shipments that year
• Revenues generated by mobile enterprise service usage worldwide will grow to $247 billion by 2014