It looks like 2006 will be a milestone year for the wireless industry.
According to In-Stat, this year — for the first time — US businesses will spend more on wireless voice services than on wireline.
The firm predicts that over the next several years, wireless data services will make significant gains as well.
"The transformation of telecom spending continues unabated," said Bryan Van Dussen, In-Stat analyst. "The relentless march toward IP-based networks, the unequivocal adoption of mobile solutions, and the pervasiveness of broadband have changed the face of business networks forever."
In-Stat expects that expenditures by enterprise-sized firms, with 1,000 or more employees, on wireless data will grow an average of 18% per year through 2009. But mid-sized and smaller firms are switching to wireless, too.
Mid-sized firms accounted for 12.4%, or $24 billion, of total US business telecom spending in 2005, and they are projected to reach $33 billion and 13% of the total US business market by 2009.
Small businesses are not about to be left behind, either. Spending on wireless data services will outpace all other categories in the SOHO segment, growing to nearly $2.2 billion in 2009, up from only $.47 billion in 2005.
No question about it, the wired office is giving way to a new wireless work environment all across the country.
Source: eMarketer
