The United States’ next-generation Wi-Fi sector is streets ahead of Europe’s equivalent due to years of investment shortfall in the latter, according to ft.com.
Investment in the US’ wireless industry has increase by more than two-thirds in the past five years while comparable spending has decreased slightly in Europe, claims a report from mobile industry body GSMA.
The US began spending more at a time when new superfast 4G mobile data technologies where being introduced. Now, a fifth of US mobile connections are expected to be using 4G, or LTE, by the end of this year. In comparison, only two per cent of Europe will be able to say the same, adds bevan.co.
In addition, US data connection speeds are already 75 per cent faster than the UK average while US consumers use five times more voice minutes and twice as much data as their European counterparts.
Industry analysts believe Europe is lagging behind due to its ‘fragmented and competitive service’, through European consumers pay much less to use mobile services in the region.
Tom Philips, head of government and public affairs at the GSMA, commented on the figures: “The [investment] gap looks like it is getting worse, not better. Europe is so regulated that it cannot afford to invest. Everything in Europe is subscale.”
