• Lack of transparency of operators?
  • Multiplicity of operating systems?
  • Speed of connection?
  • Expensive online bundles?
  • Lack of interest of WAP from users?
  • Cumbersome interfaces for navigation?
  • Different adoption of technology in markets?

 

Am sure list is endless…

Internet activity on mobiles in West has only really been thrust into reality by Blackberry’s email and iPhones browser/developed applications. A boost for where previous iterations of WAP failed to make headway. Different to the East where mobile/personal internet has been kicking around for 10 years with the likes of i-mode.

Was looking at mobiles in shop in Tokyo yesterday, and they all have Yahoo! button on the handset aswell as TV button… incredible integration! Click on the picture. Apparently Yahoo! is a seperate venture in Japan, and controls about 50% of all online activity.

I still think if a user could choose whether to pay for a call (either bundle or pay as you go), or receive an advert and have free call – per call so as to distinquish times when adverts not appropriate – could be an interesting model to work with consumers in control. Would also allow a monetization of the industry as mobile phones adopt VoIP technology to make calls over wi-fi/wimax as well as over networks which is already mainstay in certain markets in Asia.