DALLAS-Unlicensed Mobile Access technology will allow wireless carriers to accelerate residential telephone fixed-to-wireless substitution while increasing average revenue per user and decreasing churn, according to a new report. The study forecast 55 million dual-mode subscribers by 2010.
UMA technology allows subscribers to roam and hand over between cellular networks and unlicensed wireless networks using dual-mode GSM/GPRS and UMA-enabled devices.
The Alexander Resources report said convergence of Wi-Fi and cellular networks will generate an estimated $1.6 billion in new revenues for U.S. wireless carriers by 2010. The report, “UMA and Beyond: Mobile Operators Benefit from Wi-Fi and Cellular Convergence,” also claims that traditional landline telephone will lose $399 million in revenues by 2010 from fixed-to-mobile substitution, and UMA also may provide competition for Voice over Internet Protocol since comparable pricing and functionality are expected.
