Mobile broadband traffic problems

Some mobile networks face a data load from laptop dongles that is greater than that of all other phone-based services put together, according to an expert.

Simon Bransfield-Garth, managing director at Carrier IQ in the UK, writes on Mobile Entertainment that this sudden increase in traffic could have large consequences on network management and the charges customers face.

He believes that operators are to face some tough choices and doubts that the "all you can eat" tariff will be viable for much longer.

"Network capacity is a finite resource and without investment in greater bandwidth through 3G hotspots, such as home femtocells or public picocells, the macro networks will become congested, slow and unusable," he wrote.

However, he believes increasing tariffs is not the answer because it could stifle growth - instead, he suggests more intelligent pricing plans, by knowing "what mobile users are doing, when they are doing it and what the user experience is really like at the sharp end."