The GSM Association (GSMA) has announced that there are now more than 32 million Mobile Broadband connections worldwide compared with just over 3 million at the end of the first quarter of 2007.
Recent figures from Wireless Intelligence, a comprehensive database covering the global mobile market, indicate that global Mobile Broadband connections have risen by more than 850 percent year-on-year (Q1 CY07 Q1 CY08). Operators in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America are all reporting an increase in the uptake of HSPA handsets currently capable of accessing the Internet at speeds ranging from 1.8Mbps to 7.2Mbps.
The report focuses on HSPA (wikipedia link), which is the GSM flavor of 3G. Apple is expected to release a 3G capable iPhone this year, possibly in June.