Mobile Internet to Overtake Wired Connections by 2015

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With the popularity of smartphones and tablets, mobile Internet connections are actually growing fast, while wireline connections are not growing as rapidly. IDC says that at the rate we’re going, wireless connections will overtake wireline by 2015.

IDC says that the compound annual growth rate of mobile Internet devices is 16.6% between 2010 and 2015. Analysts say that the growth rate is bolstered by the popularity of smartphones and especially tablets. Meanwhile, the use of PCs and wired Internet access (such as cable and DSL) is on the decline and will stagnate through this period.

According to IDC’s Media and Entertainment research vice president Karsten Weide, we have taken access to the Internet for granted for some time now, but with the changing information-access landscape, we might be surprised at how services will change, too. “Soon, more users will access the Web using mobile devices than using PCs, and it’s going to make the Internet a very different place.”

Aside from this particular finding, IDC’s New Media Market Model has found out that 40% of the world’s population will have access to the Internet by 2015, and the total number of Internet users will grow from 2 billion to 2.7 billion. Meanwhile, online advertising will almost double from $70 billion in 2010 to $138 billion in 2015, and the share of mobile advertising will also rise from 11.9% to 17.8%. Business-to-consumer e-commerce spending will also rise from $708 billion to 1.285 trillion.

Post-PC Era?

The popularity of tablets and smartphones has branded this decade as the post-PC era, especially given the accessible nature of these devices. While PCs are becoming cheaper and cheaper, mobile devices make Internet access easier, and without the complications of a traditional computer interface. In terms of consumer devices, some hardware makers have been known to jump ship, instead focusing on services. Still, some PC manufacturers say that tablets are only a fad, and that the computer still stands as the basis of these devices.