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Some have expressed concern over the impact that the new Apple iSlate could have on the mobile infrastructure. Comparisons have been drawn to the manner in which the iPhone has put a strain on mobile broadband. However, according to AllThingsD, there are several reasons why this should not be the case with the new iSlate:
1) A higher reliance on Wi-Fi networks as the device may be intended for primary use in homes, offices, and other locations where a wireline network may be leveraged.
2) Due to price among other things, the adoption of the iSlate should have a much flatter curve than we witnessed with the iPhone. The concern will become more credible later once we get past the early adopters and the masses begin buying the device should it become as successful as the iPhone.
Additionally, the tablet may be designed in such a manner as to mitigate high bandwidth use initially. Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett is quoted as saying:
“Streaming video is uniquely demanding traffic, as it is both bandwidth intensive AND latency sensitive. That’s a recipe for disaster. For that reason, it’s unlikely that carriers would invite that type of usage. A large screen tablet would likely rely heavily on download-to-watch-later to sidestep the latency problem, and would almost certainly provide incentives to shift the most bandwidth-intensive applications to the wired network via Wi-Fi.”
He goes on to speculate that it could take 2-3 years before there is critical adoption of the device in order for it to have a real bandwidth impact.
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