Ericsson: Mobile Broadband Subscriptions to Hit 1 Billion

According to new figures from telecommunications equipment provider Ericsson, mobile broadband subscriptions, led by the rising use of smartphones and tablets, will hit the one billion mark in 2011, doubling the half-million mark achieved last year.

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for the greatest number of subscriptions with around 400 million, followed by North America and Western Europe with more than 200 million subscribers each, reports Reuters. Ericsson believes mobile broadband subscriptions will top 3.8 billion by 2015, says V3.co.uk.