Subscriptions to GPS-enabled location-based services to rocket

15 November 2006 Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT

In 2011, the total population of GPS-enabled location-based services (LBS) subscribers will reach 315 million, up from 12 million in 2006, according to a new study from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). Put another way, that represents a rise from less than 0,5% of total wireless subscribers today to more than 9% worldwide at the end of the study's 5-year forecast period.

"Regions of greatest growth will be North America and Western Europe," says senior analyst Ken Hyers. "The Asia-Pacific region will have strong growth as well, but it will vary by market. Leaders South Korea and Japan will continue to be engines of LBS growth, but North America, which has seen strong business use for several years, is expected to see significant consumer uptake in 2007 and beyond."

The LBS market took off first in South Korea and Japan, driven by personal navigation and some family- and people-finder services. In the US, Nextel and Sprint initially drove LBS adoption with a focus on fleet applications. In 2006 Verizon Wireless also entered the market and has three applications available currently, with as many as five more planned for rollout over the coming months.

Market growth in Western Europe has been limited by the fact that very few GSM/WCDMA handsets have GPS, but ABI expects that beginning in 2007 and increasing in 2008, many more WCDMA 3G phones will contain GPS chipsets, allowing operators to offer LBS. Anticipating this, at least one additional operator will be offering GPS-enabled LBS in Europe starting late in 2006. ABI expects that in 2007 at least four major operators in Western Europe will follow suit.

"GPS services will drive the adoption of UMTS 3G handsets," says Hyers. "3G growth has been limited by customers' low uptake of many 3G services, making it uneconomical for operators to subsidise these handsets heavily. GPS-enabled LBS is expected to lead subscribers to use more 3G data services, and thereby to drive overall 3G handset sales."

Further reading:

Module provides 4G LTE Cat 1 bis connectivity
Dizzy Enterprises Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Mikroe adds 4G LTE Cat 1 bis connectivity where reliable data transmission and low power consumption are critical with the GC02S1-EU2 module.

Read more...

---

Enabling next-generation FPGA and SDR innovation
RFiber Solutions Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Puzhi Electronic Technology has established itself as a dynamic provider of advanced ARM and FPGA-based solutions, delivering a comprehensive ecosystem of products designed for modern embedded and high-performance computing applications.

Read more...

---

Magnetic mount antenna takes the hassle out of 4G installations
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Designed for fast, tool-free installation, the YECN022CA 4G magnetic mount whip monopole antenna gives wireless devices a dependable cellular link in the field, where installation time and signal reliability both matters.

Read more...

---

Engineering for failure: why resilient telemetry matters more than perfect connectivity
Editor's Choice Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
One of the biggest assumptions in modern tracking systems is that connectivity will always be available. From an engineering perspective, this creates an interesting problem.

Read more...

---

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth smart module series integrates intelligence
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Quectel Wireless Solutions has expanded its smart module portfolio with the SH503FM, a new-generation series of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth smart modules.

Read more...

---

Powering smart sensor networks
CST Electronics Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
NeoCortec’s NeoMesh wireless mesh networking protocol and software stack is ideally suited for powering smart sensor networks where each device is required to send and receive small packets of data infrequently, but with high reliability.

Read more...

---

Lessons in long-distance telemetry
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Ian Loudon, international sales and marketing manager at Omniflex, reflects on some of the key engineering lessons learned from decades of deploying wireless telemetry systems in demanding industrial applications.

Read more...

---

PEAK’s first automotive Ethernet solution
Industrial Data Xchange (IDX) Editor's Choice Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The PAE-Media Converter is a robust and compact device designed to connect Automotive Ethernet (100BASE-T1 or 1000BASE-T1) with standard Ethernet (100BASE-TX or 1000BASE-T) networks.

Read more...

---

Compact LTE connectivity for IoT
iCorp Technologies Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
The Quectel EG916Q-GL is a compact LTE Cat 1 bis module designed to provide reliable and cost-effective cellular connectivity for IoT and M2M applications.

Read more...

---

Precision timing in compact package
Altron Arrow Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Designed for use in harsh environments, the EX-423 incorporates a four-point mounted quartz crystal structure that improves shock resistance and reduces g-sensitivity.

Read more...

---