Mobile broadband drives ad revenues higher in 2011

Advertising to mobile devices via broadband and traditional messaging formats is set to double in value in 2011, according to Gartner.

The analyst expects to see the sector go from a value of $1.6 billion in 2010 - £990 million at current exchange rates - to $3.3 billion this year.

Its rise is expected to be led by video and audio ads, although the greatest revenues through until 2015 will be from search and maps.

While part of the increase could be due to the fact that global economies are emerging from recession, sales of broadband-enabled mobile devices are also helping to drive mobile ad revenues higher.

In the first three months of 2011, 428 million mobile communication devices were sold worldwide, a separate Gartner report claims.

This figure could have edged closer towards 500 million, had it not been for some major manufacturers announcing that their new models would launch later in the year.