What About Wireless? An Investigation of Mobile Broadband in Fibre to the Home Environments

Abstract

In our increasingly mobile society, individuals expect internet connectivity wherever they are, not just in locations where they can connect to a fixed service. To date, discussions of the differences in fixed and wireless broadband infrastructure provision have tended to focus on technical aspects, explaining for example why wireless connectivity cannot deliver the same functionality as fixed networks. This paper moves beyond consideration of the technical shortcomings of wireless to suggest that mobile broadband services are an important and necessary component of ubiquitous national broadband infrastructures. It provides a basis for further discussion of policy and regulatory environments that can foster the development of mobile broadband connectivity as a complement to fixed line infrastructure.

Keywords: broadband, policy, wireless, mobile, next generation networks