A quick look around the UK broadband sector confirms the surprising situation which sees TalkTalk broadband and Sky broadband as the only two companies in the sector which have no exposure to the mobile broadband market. While there is no specific reason why the companies have no exposure to the sector, with Carphone Warehouse (the owner of the TalkTalk broadband service) having easy access to mobile services, there are concerns that the two leaders in the fixed broadband sector are missing out.
A recent report suggested that mobile broadband revenues in the UK are now approaching £40 million and moving higher month by month. There was also an indication that the rate of growth in the mobile broadband sector is outstripping the fixed broadband sector for the first time ever. Perhaps the reason that TalkTalk broadband and Sky broadband have not entered the mobile broadband market is simply because this area is dominated by the likes of 3 UK, Vodafone, O2 and T-Mobile. But will these two market leaders live to regret their lack of exposure to the area?
There is no doubt that the vast array of mobile phone network companies in the UK have access to literally millions of mobile phone customers with the intention of guiding many towards the mobile broadband sector. Early signs suggest that conversion rates from basic mobile phone customers to mobile broadband are increasing as security and confidence in the service continues to build.