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Will battery power affect success of 4G mobile broadband?
Monday 18th April 2011, by Daniel King
Consumers keen for 4G mobile broadband-enabled devices to be made available in the UK could be better off waiting a few years for improvements to smartphone battery technology.
Although there is a growing anticipation of what the arrival of 4G will mean for the mobile and smartphone industries, concern remains about the capability of devices to support power requirements.
As with 3G-enabled devices, roaming in search of 4G network signal consumes battery life at a rate that even the most advanced smartphones would struggle to cope with.
In a post on his blog, NBC Universal Live Digital's presenter Shelly Palmer suggests that regular users of 4G may need to carry around several extended batteries around with them.
He notes that some heavy 3G business users will already carry around spare charged batteries to avoid running out of power at a crucial moment of the day.
However, the advent of 4G will likely require these individuals to carry even more batteries in addition to these spares.
Mr Palmer explained: "Sadly, some devices don't even let you turn off the 4G feature, but even those that do, require you to constantly know where you are and be conscious of the status of your network and your equipment. Yuck!"
UK regulator Ofcom recently outlined its plans to hold a 4G spectrum auction, requiring at least four national wholesalers to take responsibility for providing mobile broadband to maintain competition.
Those securing 4G spectrum would also be required to offer coverage to 95 per cent of the population by the end of 2017.
Hopefully, battery technology will have caught up with the demands of mobile broadband by this point.
Categories: Business Broadband
