(keitai-l) Re: I-mode in Europe

Hello Declan,

Since I am Dutch I maybe could comment on this.

As far as I know KPN is absolutely not planning this. It would be a clear
mistake since (1) I-Mode browsers have to be build into current GSM phones
which is unlikely to happen because the strong market base for non-Asian
phone manufacturers in Asia, (2) there will be hardly any I-Mode content
while WAP sites are popping up like mushrooms in  dark cellar. From a
network point of view, however, is does not matter whether your content is
cHTML or WML.  And then there is, of course, the discussion on which is the
better standard which we have seen in the keitai-i: I-Mode is marketed
better, WAP is technologically more advanced and has more support
worldwide.

Please, don't make the error of confusing packet-switched with I-Mode or
WAP: the cHTML part of I-Mode could as well work on a circuit switched
network, WAP will also work on  a packet-switched network, and the
similarities between WAP and I-Mode as from a network layer perspective are
striking. KPN will introduce GPRS at the end of this year or early next
year, but don't expect any miracles. Yes, WAP will be faster and yes, the
dial-in time will decrease from 20 seconds to almost zero. However, the
same will happen as with the WAP handsets: it will takes some time before
they are available in large quantities and in the models the customers will
like.

There are basically three main reasons, besides the money, that KPN wants
DoCoMo in:
   DoCoMo has 1.5 years of experience with mobile commerce business models.
   KPN could profit from the lessons learned.
   DoCoMo has already experience with packet switched data. Packet switched
   data has a huge impact on your billing model.
   DoCoMo will introduce W-CDMA next year, KPN only in 2003. Knowledge
   could be leveraged.

I am, however, not sure why DoCoMo wanted the 15% of KPN Mobile. Probably
they want to be sure that the W-CDMA system, of which most patents are in
the hands of Qualcom, is also introduced in some European countries. The
KPN Mobile's stake in E-Plus (that 'won' a UMTS license yesterday) and the
combination with Hutchinson is maybe a stronghold for W-CDMA. Is there any
of the readers living in Japan to comment on this?

Best regards,
Paul


>Only yesterday, the FT reported that "...KPN Mobile plans to introduce a
>similar service (i-mode)in Europe, possibly this year"

>How will they do it?

>I-mode on GSM?  where i-mode content can be viewed but the benefits of
>packaged data cannot be implemented.  This would be a very costly service
-
>to the consumer, of course.

>Wait for GPRS?

>I have heard rumors that the Japanese handset manufacturers have GSM
i-mode
>enabled phones in production - any truth to the rumor?


>Declan Collins