NPD Group

According to new data from research firm NPD group, AT&T Mobility serviced almost half of all the tablets in the nation that connected to cellular networks in the first quarter. However, the percentage of tablets that actually do connect to 3G or 4G networks is relatively small--NPD found that only 12 percent of all tablets in the United States connect to cellular networks.

Another research firm, this time the NPD Group, has predicted that shipments of smartphones will overtake those of basic and feature phones for the first time this year, as adoption of smartphones accelerates.

Nearly one-third of U.S smartphone sales in the first quarter were on prepaid carriers, the highest on record, according to a report from the NPD Group. The statistic is another indication of prepaid's growing momentum in the smartphone market.

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins and a senior Nokia executive expressed varying degrees of support for tablets. The comments are notable considering some research firms predict that tablet connections will generate billions of dollars in revenue for wireless carriers--but currently most tablet users in the United States continue to rely on Wi-Fi connections, according to the NPD Group.