ABSTRACT
The advance in wireless technologies and its ubiquitous deployment, accelerated with the proliferation of more sophisticated mobile devices and applications, has triggered a new trend in computer communication: the convergence of xed-line and wireless networking, as well as the convergence of telecommunications and networking. Worldwide, new netbook and notebook sales for 2008 were recorded at 146 million units, with the rst half of 2009 already surpassing 162 million units according to Display Search [1]. Global mobile handset production reached 1.2 billion units in 2008 [2]. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in its press release in September 2008, estimated that worldwide, mobile cellular subscribers will reach the 4 billion mark by the end of 2008 [3]. In March 2009, Infonetics Research reported in its fourth quarter 2008 edition of Mobile Broadband Cards, Routers, Services, and Subscribers Report, that the number of mobile broadband subscribers worldwide, in 2008 had registered a 125% increase over 2007, reaching 210.5 million, and was expected to exceed 1 billion by 2013 [4]. This can be attributed to the increase in broadband speeds with the deployment of technologies including High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax as well as their relatively lower cost compared to 3G roaming charges.
