Mobile broadband subscriptions to hit one billion this year

The rising use of tablets and smartphones will contribute to a doubling of mobile broadband customers this year to one billion, according to new figures from Ericsson.

The largest number of subscribers is expected to be in the Asia Pacific region, which will total around 400 million. Second highest will be North America and Europe, each expected to have some 200 million mobile broadband users.

Smartphones and tablets such as Apple's iPad have boosted the number of customers turning to application stores and internet services on the go, and mobile traffic has grown as a result.

The quality of connections has also improved, and Ericsson said that it had seen a very positive reaction to its commercial LTE contracts. The company signed 11 contracts with operators last year, eight of which have already launched.

Ofcom, meanwhile, has already suggested that mobile broadband growth is exceeding expectations, reporting in August that smartphone use is driving data consumption, and that over a quarter of all UK residents now own an internet-capable mobile device.

However, poor speeds and inconsistent service continue to blight many connections and turn customers off mobile broadband. Research from Broadband Expert last year argued that the technology does not live up to the hype.

Ericsson believes that mobile broadband subscriptions will top 3.8 billion by 2015, an increase of 300 million since the firm reported on growth at the end of last year.