Top 10 wireless predictions for 2011

HAMPSHIRE, UK: As 2010 draws to a close Juniper Research has drawn up a list of predictions for the coming year, all neatly wrapped up as the top trends for the mobile and wireless industry for 2011.

Surging mobile data traffic will continue to test 3G network capacity
As we predicted at the end of last year, 2010 was the year in which the surge in mobile data traffic, driven by the consumer smartphone boom, began to place the 3G networks under severe strain. A number of network operators have responded by introducing tiered data pricing – a trend which will undoubtedly increase – but as smartphone adoption continues apace, network capacity will be sorely tested in 2011.

Tiered pricing (and the use of WiFi as capacity relief) may serve to alleviate the problem to a certain extent, but until we see mass deployments of LTE networks (and, equally important, devices that are LTE-capable), then operators face a nervous period of attempting to manage the transition.
Top 10 wireless predictions for 2011
Please see below for a full list of the top 10 wireless predictions, with each prediction explained in more detail in the free report available to download from here on the Juniper Research website.

1. Surging Mobile Data Traffic.
2. Augmented Reality to Enhance Mobile Games and Retail.
3. Cloud-Based Operating Systems are Launched.
4. Mobile Banking will become a “must-have” not a “nice-to-have” when opening a new account.
5. Mobile Devices Begin to Replace Credit Cards.
6. Mobile Handsets Become Even More Sensitive.
7. Mobile Lottery Tickets Sales to Soar Fuelled by Deployments in US, Europe, and China.
8. Mobile-Specific Threats Lead to Demand for Mobile-Specific Security.
9. Acquisition Launches Social Purchasing.
10. Environmental Handsets For All.