The Wi-Fi gear market achieved remarkable growth in 2003 as prices fell and consumers embraced new technology.
Shipments of wireless networking cards and access points totalled 22.7 million units, a 214% increase from 2002’s 7.2 million unit shipments, according to
In-Stat/MDR.
The emergence of 802.11g products and cheap prices for 802.11b equipment were behind this surge and wi-fi hardware revenues are expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2003, a rise of 140% from the previous year’s total of $700 million.
“Rapid price erosion is still a crucial factor in revenue growth within this market, but the high volumes are allowing for revenue growth, even as prices fall fast,” said Gemma Paulo, a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR.
