Mobile broadband is the quickest and most effective way of boosting broadband penetration in the Philippines, said an Ericsson official who noted that Filipinos are ready to embrace this form of communications technology. In a recent press briefing, Peter Hjorth, Ericsson mobile broadband specialist, said the positive growth trends in mobile communications are clear indicators that Filipinos are ready to accept this technology.

A survey conducted by the Ericsson ConsumerLab in 2004 also indicated that most people are interested in a mobile service that would allow them to browse the Internet faster.

"People are already accustomed to high-speed surfing on the Internet, both at work and at home, and have adapted to mobile phones and computers being part of their everyday lives," said Hjorth, adding that consumers demand services that are easy to use, reliable and secure, wherever they are.

Mobile broadband, enabled by "CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) Evolved," provides a fast, always-on-the-Internet access to users. WCDMA Evolved with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and significantly improves the downlink peak data rate up to 14 Mbps (Megabits per second). Mobile broadband will benefit from the economies of scale driven by the deployment of WCDMA. Ericsson wants to take the lead in helping 3G operators realize the opportunities offered by mobile broadband. To date, Ericsson has supplied 35 out of 56 commercially launched WCDMA networks worldwide.

"With 3G technologies, it has now become possible to deliver similar services with the benefit of mobility over the mobile networks in a cost-effective manner," Hjorth said.

At the 3GSM World Congress held in Cannes, France recently, Ericsson demonstrated 11 Mbps high-speed data downloads and streaming applications over the air. The demonstration was the first time that HSDPA Phase 2 was implemented in a live WCDMA system based on commercial products.

"Ericsson is fully committed to making "Broadband Everywhere" a reality. We believe in an all-communicating world where telecommunications is available for all," Hjorth said.