3G and Killler Apps
This article, like the one I posted prior, discusses the slower than expected takeoff of 3G. My own view is that 3G is progressing rather well even though we are not yet into mass market, and I am not expecting a single G 'Killer App.'
>> Waiting for a 3G 'Killer App'
Roland Lim
Business Times
26 May 2005
tinyurl.com
IT'S a chicken-and-egg situation. On the one hand, 3G handset sales are not yet taking off as expected. On the other, there is no 3G 'killer app' yet on the horizon.
That dilemma was one of the topics at a recent panel discussion at the 'Wow! 3G Seminar' organised by the Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) and the Singapore Computer Society. Representatives from the three local telcos reiterated that compelling content will be needed to fuel the take-up in 3G and handset performance will need to be improved.
One compelling content could be games, music and video downloads. Tomi Ahonen, a 3G strategy consultant and author of four books on telecoms and technology, said he would place his bets on applications such as TV and video streaming on mobile phones - but only if the content was customised and available exclusively for the mobile phone. 'Gaming and music downloads could drive 3G take-up, and news updating services could also be a successful application,' he said. 'Video calls will take off only in 10 to 20 years' time. Using mobile phones to read e-mails is so 90s. The future is in text messaging.'
Referring to the current crop of 3G handsets, Chan Kin Hung, head of mobile services at StarHub, pointed out that 'the device is not ready - it needs a better screen and better battery life'. Neil Montefiore, CEO of MobileOne, pointed out that roaming on 3G networks is still very expensive, as the telcos are still working out the inter-operator arrangements.
Until all these anomalies are resolved, the 3G take-up rate will be low. <<
- Eric - |
