Hotspot usage will increase in 2009 by 47%, bringing total worldwide connections to 1.2 billion, according to a new report by In-Stat.
Analyst Frank Dickson said operators have become increasingly involved in the hotspot market globally as they assess the potential of hotspots to offload wireless data traffic from overburdened 3G networks.
“Mass market adoption of Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones has significantly altered hotspot usage, with these devices accounting for the majority of access sessions in some locations,” Dickson said.