A few years ago telecoms providers - which naturally had a vested interest in such matters - predicted that everyone would eventually own a mobile phone. They also predicted that voice traffic over fixed lines would fall and data traffic would rise.
Not surprisingly, these forecasts were met with some scepticism. But they are now beginning to take on a stunning accuracy.
Finland leads the way in mobile usage with around 60 per cent of the population owning one. In the Republic, the figure is 35 per cent and rising fast.
Manufacturers are developing more sophisticated handsets all the time. However, the amount of data you can access on a mobile handset is still severely limited. This is due to a combination of factors, including that operators control the amount of content available via their networks and the issue of capacity.
Downloading information can be very slow because of capacity constraints. This is set to change, once the next generation of mobile licences are issued. Known as UMTS, (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems) they will provide the capacity necessary for high-speed Internet access and other data services.
"This will provide two-megabit bandwidth, which is what some corporate customers are currently getting on fixed-line fibre networks," says one operator.
He believes that as operators provide a greater level of content and services, they will initially charge a premium. However, he says, if these prices are out of sync with say, fixed-line services via a home PC, the pressure will be on to reduce them.
The move to mobile will also presage a convergence of fixed and mobile services for individual users, who will eventually have one number. A call to a fixed line will be picked up on a mobile handset, if the user is not at home and he or she will get just one bill.
Ease of access to and use of telecommunications is also a key driver in the move to consolidate within the industry.
The price of handsets will be relatively expensive initially, but will fall over time, operators say.
