Mobile internet touted as the future for telcos

Olivier Baujard: The mobile internet represents a tremendous opportunity for all mobile operators

Deutsche Telekom's chief technology officer has revealed that the mobile internet now represents half of the firm's new growth opportunities, highlighting its growing importance to the future of all telecoms companies.

Olivier Baujard said at the Open Mobile Summit in London that demand for the mobile internet represents a tremendous opportunity for all mobile operators, but requires a huge effort to manage and maintain effectively.

"The demand from consumers is a huge benefit for firms like ourselves, but it means we must work hard to meet their expectations when delivering this service, " he said.

"Speed is the killer feature for all users, as they want an instant response when they click on a link."

Baujard explained that Deutsche Telekom is already seeing many web sites being optimised for use on mobile devices, and that the figures for the growth in mobile data are rising all the time.

The launch of devices like the iPad will only increase this further, he said, and operators must be able to cope with this demand.

Baujard stressed the importance of taking advantage of technologies that can reduce the pressure on networks, such as data compression and acceleration, optimising networks and data offload.

"I am convinced that the best way to carry broadband traffic is to unload it to fibre as quickly as possible from the mobile networks," he said.

Baujard quoted a recent survey indicating that Facebook is accessed twice as often from a mobile device as from a fixed device.

He also touched on the rise of integrated services, explaining that consumers are increasingly keen to access content irrespective of location, and that storing data on operators' networks means that users can access content through any connected device.