The emergence of 4G technology in the mobile phone market will dramatically increase take up of ultra mobile devices and give users a superior experience, but will raise copyright issues, according to a new report by Business Insight.

The independent market analyst predicts that 4G technologies LTE and WiMAX will have a significant impact, encouraging increased adoption of ultra mobile devices. It expects shipments of smartphones to increase nearly threefold between 2009 and 2013, from 185 million to 451 million, while shipments of netbooks alone will increase fourfold in 2009-2013. Shipments of e-readers and tablets will likely experience a monumental boom with nearly a tenfold increase for e-readers.

The report concludes that the users that will benefit most from the shift to 4G technology and the improved network speed, efficiency and capacity that it brings, will be those that use their mobile devices for applications such as video. However, the analyst warns that copyright issues could be raised from 4G mobile technology, due to 4G's potential to further strengthen the high growth trend in video streaming, giving users easier access to restricted material.

Commented Richard Absalum, Business Insights analyst, "As more and more 4G networks are deployed, ICT companies and consumers will start to feel the effects of the new technology. The improved network speed, efficiency and capacity provided by 4G, together with the increasing capabilities of converged mobile devices, will lead to increased rich media content and applications.

"However, while the many benefits of 4G are being widely touted, in 2010, 80 per cent of mobile connections are still generated on 2G networks and 3G has not been universally deployed yet."