Bandwidth Usage & Associated StocksCan anyone provide some insights into any stocks that might allow me to tap into the growing bandwidth needs of all these smartphones/tablets and other devices? I’m hearing how these devices hog a lot of bandwidth and there must be companies on the cusp of providing for the growing demand for more bandwidth coverage?
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Albert: I cannot speak to specific stocks, but a recent article in WIRED suggests that the bandwidth issue is being dealt with in the short and medium term by “Femtocells”.
Femtocells are basically WiFi hotspots that allow phones to use short-range WiFi signals in preference to cell towers to get access to the internet and/or cellular networks. Apparently such access points are routinely installed these days in stadiums and such places. And because they provide preferential–and I believe, faster–access they relieve much of the current load on cell towers.
That said, all the major cellular carriers are in active pursuit of spectrum, since over the long haul they’ll need it, whether that need is next year or five years hence.
As to how the Internet backbone will be financed to support speeds sufficient to keep our infrastructure competitive with, say, Korea, I have no idea.
You might consider AMT