Mobile Broadband Changes Everything PSB2 14.00-15.15 Umm Al Quwain The initial promise of 3G never materialized. But as network performance improved with developments such as HSPA and users lost their fear of high bills through the introduction of flat rate tariffs, mobile data finally arrived. And it arrived with a bang! The demand for mobile data is increasing an order of magnitude faster than its associated revenue. Operators are having to re-architect their networks using small cells and WiFi offload. Smartphones have not only swamped networks with signaling traffic but have also transferred control of service functionality from operators to device manufacturers. HetNets are coming, WiFi is experiencing a resurgence: the fundamental assumptions underpinning the cellular industry are being questioned. The mobile future is no longer an extension of the mobile past. Stimulating Demand for Broadband Services PSB3 14.00-15.15 Ras Al Khaimah OTT players are maligned for devaluing network operation, but rarely credited with driving the consumption of broadband services. Additionally, eGovernment initiatives as well as ever evolving eCommerce applications are expanding the reach and uptake of financial services as well as health and educational resources. Stimulating demand for broadband services should be a win-win for all stakeholders; however, there is an increasing sentiment amongst network operators that some demand drivers are better than others. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure the sustainability of profitable business models in the face of exponential increases in data consumption, overall cost pressures and other forces which are threatening the industry. panel sesions 39