During the last Mobile Conference in Barcelone, many questions has been raised concerning the pertinence of 3G networks. 

In the USA, mobile operators are queuing to admit that their respective networks are on their knees. In Europe, it is a little bit more tempered although some operators, especially in the UK, are witnessing overload issues on their 3G networks.
The first to blame is of course the popularity of 3G internet users. However, smartphones part in broadband usage is also increasing with the multiplication of video streaming, online games, social networking apps and other bandwidth demanding applications. Last year, 19 millions smartphones have been sold in western Europe and there has been more that 4.5 billion downloads for mobile apps such as the ones on the iPhone. The introduction of unlimited data subscription plans and the popularity of the iPhone will only comfort this exponential mobile broadband need.

Actually, the mobile internet is still a wild territory. Much like the internet at its beginning there are no clear standards and the applications are poorly developed. This with the reluctance of operators to invest in new network technologies, is more likely to have a negative impact on the whole business model. Moreover, with this frenzy of end-user technologies and the disappearance of boundaries between mobile and fixed networks, it is time to introduce more standardization and quality of service.