According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, the number of commercial 3.5G networks launched across the world jumped 69 percent last year. There are now more than 160 High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) networks operating in 75 countries, with another 38 HSDPAs slated to roll out in an additional 14 countries.
These networks are most prevalent in Europe, which is home to 95 of the existing 116 HSDPAs.
As its name implies, 3.5G is a souped-up version of 3G network technology, and it is capable of delivering maximum downlink speeds of up to 7.2Mbps, although rates of 800Kbps to 3Mbps are more typical.
Even at the low end of the range, the speeds are sufficient to make delivery of large video files viable — a crucial factor for adult content delivery to be a viable income stream.
While European networks are humming with adult content transfers, the U.S. market has lagged behind. Will U.S. providers shoulder the risk and open their mobile networks to adult content? Only time will tell — but it's good to know that it won't be technological limitations that prevent them from taking the plunge.
