Mobile Communications: Diffusion Facts and Prospects

Communications and Strategies. No. 77, pp. 133-145, 2010

14 Pages Posted: 19 Apr 2011 Last revised: 16 Sep 2012

See all articles by Harald Gruber

Harald Gruber

European Investment Bank

Pantelis Koutroumpis

Oxford Martin Programme of Technological and Economic Change; University of Oxford - Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School; Imperial College Business School

Date Written: April 1, 2010

Abstract

This paper discusses the diffusion of different generations of innovative mobile services and compares actual market performance with expectation at the time of introduction of each generation. Whereas 1G and 2G were an unexpected success under this point of view, 3G did not live up to expectations. This poses the question to which extent technology was too much pushed on the supply side, rather than pulled on the demand side. While discussing the intermediary technologies leading up to 4G, the question of service innovations is posed, such as the convergence of fixed and mobile technologies. The paper thus dwells on possible reasons for actual market performance and tries to assess the perspective of the introduction of innovations still to come.

Keywords: Mobile telecommunications, diffusion of technology generations, mobile

JEL Classification: L96, O31, O33

Suggested Citation

Gruber, Harald and Koutroumpis, Pantelis, Mobile Communications: Diffusion Facts and Prospects (April 1, 2010). Communications and Strategies. No. 77, pp. 133-145, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1809749

Harald Gruber (Contact Author)

European Investment Bank ( email )

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Pantelis Koutroumpis

Oxford Martin Programme of Technological and Economic Change ( email )

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University of Oxford - Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School ( email )

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Imperial College Business School ( email )

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