How Will the Data Tsunami Affect You?

It makes sense that subscribers with access to 4G LTE use more data – because faster connections result in a better user experience. According to  Mobile data information company Mobidia,  in Hong Kong, for example, LTE subscribers used nearly 100% more data than 3G subscribers.

The snowball effect of mobile usage driven by data demand, resulting in more usage and more data demand is clear evidence for the 21st Century Data Tsunami, in which wireless carriers are fighting to build infrastructure and retain customers.  An inability to keep up with demand is allowing room for new players, such as cable companies like Comcast, which will roll out 8 million WiFi hotspots with 2.0 technology this year.

Should property owners will cellular leases be worried?  According to Steven Marshall, president of American Tower’s U.S. tower division, there is no cause to worry at the moment.

“We are building more towers today than we have ever built in the five years that I’ve been here at American Tower,” Marshall said “There is a still need to fill these coverage holes in the carrier’s networks … and the carriers are doing a valiant job of trying to fill those holes.”

It’s also important to remember that 83% of the U.S. population resides in suburban or rural areas, which are almost exclusively served by tower based macro sites – due to the frequency bands used. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that the classic cell tower will continue to serve as the core infrastructure to effectively deploy 4G services nationwide.