Wireless technology has always held the promise of changing the way we live, as well as dramatically enriching investors who capitalize on the profitable trends. And while being painfully wrong is always a real possibility, recent statistics show some sectors of the wireless market are seeing dramatic growth.
A new study released by research firm comScore shows that the number of computers using mobile broadband connections in the U.S. was 154% larger in the fourth quarter of 2007 than in Q4 last year. While the number of connections is still small -- only 2.17 million computers -- the increase has all the hallmarks of a hypergrowth phase. The small number of connections, taken with the fact that laptops are expected to outsell desktops in future years, bodes well for continued growth.
This dramatic growth took place in spite of relatively high costs associated with mobile broadband service plans. AT&T
Much of the growth is driven by laptop makers -- such as Dell
Technology companies such as Qualcomm
All this adds up to more opportunities for investors in companies tapping into this growing value chain, from hardware manufacturers to service providers to value-added players such as Smith Micro. As always, a booming market doesn't always translate into a rising stock price, but it sure helps.
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