Trends in and Prospects for the HSDPA Service Market: With a Focus on the HSDPA-based Video Service

HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) is drawing great attention as the 3.5G technology capable of providing the wireless data service 3 ~ 4 times faster than WCDMA. Recently, HSDPA business has been expanding continuously from the perspective of network development and investment efficiency, in line with the global trend. As HSDPA looks set to account for about 16 percent of the entire number of subscribers in 2008, the market is expected to be re-arranged around HSDPA. With the introduction of HSDPA, various services can be provided, including video conferencing, international roaming, IMS, and a USIM-based service, as well as the current voice communication service. Despite these bright prospects, the mobile communication industry and professional experts have pointed out that the HSDPA service´s marketability faces many limitations and tasks that need to be resolved. This study is designed to analyze the features, quality, coverage, pricing scheme, and customer response of the HSDPA-based video service in Japan, and the future prospects for the HSDPA service market.