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Technology Stocks : Nokia (NOK) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter J Hudson who wrote (3182)	1/3/2000 12:17:00 PM
From: tero kuittinen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 34857

Commercial operation should start by 4Q - there's talk of first handsets coming out by "next summer", but we've all heard that one before. I think that during the first phase the data speed will be around 50 kbps and then next year that should increase to 100 kbps or so. The main thing here is that the key 50 or so GSM operators have started either implementing GPRS commercially or doing the trials. That gives the manufacturers a reason to get serious about handsets. The bad way to launch a mobile data initiative is to do so without solid commitments from all key manufacturers and operators. When that happens, content providers won't get serious, either. Then you can end up with two lame internet phone models and a very narrow choice of content. AT&T owns partially this Canadian operator which has already started EDGE collaboration with Ericsson - it's not clear whether AT&T itself wants to wait until EDGE is closer to commercialization. Or maybe go for some 3G solution. They might want to give their current mobile data network another shot at success; Mitsubishi is coming out with new Pocket Net models. This PCDC (or whatever the acronym is) is kind of cumbersome. I think Motorola and Nokia have refused to design phones for it - the demand is questionable. AT&T probably has to make some kind of a move this year. Tero