Mobile connectivity is helping the Internet break free from the home office and workplace and be a constant, 'always on' resource in people’s lives. With the rise of smartphones that put PC-like capabilities and connectivity in the palms of our hands — people can stay on top of work and home, access information and resources and, yes, play games, listen to music and watch entertaining videos — from anywhere. More and more today, diverse Americans have enhanced access to the vast opportunities thanks to mobile broadband.

Why we care

• Meeting consumer demand. Mobile Internet usage is the fastest growing segment of broadband adoption today. In fact, 1 in 5 Americans now use a handheld device to access the Internet on a daily basis. And, these ranks are growing fast. Over the next 10 years, wireless Internet usage is projected to grow at 100 times the rate of wireless voice traffic.
• Broadband means more innovation and more jobs. In the next decade, it won’t just be people who are connected. Mobile connectivity will link 10 billion people and machines — from the connected medical tablet a doctor uses at a patient’s bedside to the wired tools first responders rely on to keep our communities safe. This innovation will greatly improve our lives and our economy. It will also drive significant demand for more spectrum to keep pace with surging consumer demand and the needs of our innovation economy.
• Wireless can help connect rural America. Broadband can open doors for people living in remote areas, whether bringing AP teachers into rural schools or medical specialists into community hospitals. Only 4% of Americans say broadband is unavailable to them, but virtually all of the disconnected live in remote parts of our country. Wireless is a cost-effective means of helping to connect Americans and enhance the many opportunities broadband makes possible.
• Minority adoption increases with wireless. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, one in three African Americans and Hispanic Americans use mobile devices to access the Internet daily. Wireless is key to closing the digital divide and can help our country become a truly connected nation.

Our point of view

• Wireless should be included in the National Broadband Plan. As the FCC rolls out its National Broadband Plan, a top priority should be to ensure all Americans can access the high-speed Internet. Wireless broadband can help enhance our nation’s connectivity. But it will take constructive policies. The federal government can start by beginning the process of making more spectrum available, so our nation continues to have adequate capacity to keep pace with mobile consumers and their increasing reliance on mobile Internet connectivity.
• Network management matters. Unlike wired broadband networks, mobile broadband networks have much more significant capacity constraints. This requires network engineers to continually innovate and manage traffic in as seamless a manner as possible for the majority of consumers. Keeping these decisions in the hands of engineers, rather than policymakers, is essential to mobile innovation and the consumer experience.
• Policies should support investment. U.S. wireless companies have invested more than $120 billion in infrastructure, and are racing to deploy next-generation networks with Internet speeds that rival today’s wired broadband. As the government revisits U.S. innovation policies, it is essential that we continue to encourage substantial and diverse private sector investment to support ongoing innovation throughout the wireless ecosystem and deliver next-generation mobile broadband to consumers nationwide.

Our Bottom Line

The exponential growth of mobile broadband will play a pivotal role in bringing the high-speed Internet to all Americans. The next wave of mobile innovation and economic opportunities are near, and policies aimed at keeping pace with consumers’ and innovators’ need for speed and mobility will help propel our connected economy forward.