Free laptops, part of the future

An increasing portion of laptops will now come with embedded SIM to allow customers to instantly access internet wirelessly via mobile service providers without using an unsightly dongle, according to Mobile Today.

Last week, Carphone Warehouse announced that it was in talks with big laptop manufacturers to sell heavily subsidised laptops with wireless internet access.

Likewise, Vodafone and T-Mobile have signed agreements with several laptop manufacturers although numbers are yet to add up as the T-Mobile head of OEM and IT puts it bluntly.

Manufacturers, on the other side, are banking that the future business model will be selling laptops bundled with wireless internet access.

BT could be the biggest loser if more customers move from desktop to laptop and away from landlines and fixed-line revenues still account for £10.3 billion annually, mostly paid to one company, BT, charging each landline owner, more than £130 annually.