On Dec 7, 2004, at 4:46 PM, Gerhard Fasol wrote:
> How do you mean competitive? The competition is between KDDI, DoCoMo
> and Vodafone, and PHS.
No!
I think this is simply to misconstrue the problem. In the medium term
the competition is between ALL the methods of getting data onto what is
probably the single device (pda/keitai/ipod, whatever) that users are
prepared to carry around.
Coca Cola claim that they are after 'throatshare" and thus that they
compete with water - that's a bit "precious" - but if it comes to
getting mp3s onto "the device I will carry whatever that is" , 3G IS in
competition with all the other methods (wifi and direct transfer after
broadband download). If I have a 3G phone that I buy cheap and I don't
use it much, I suspect I COST the carriers money....
> These systems all will break down
> if all users do the same thing at the same time.
.... which is why I asked about "many" users - not "all".
> In a few years, you will only get 3G and do not have
> the choice anymore between 2G or 3G.
And if I - and others - use it in the same way as I currently use 2G
(lots of 3 second calls and a few short emails) the carriers will go
bust (outside Japan, at least). They have to make users shift more bits
around and or buy their services. A LOT more bits, as outside Japan
they have the cost of their 3G licences to pay....
I can see the market for 2G type services on 3G hardware. I see the
market for huge data transfers (Mp3 and video) to handsets - but not
over 3G. So are we, as consumers, to resign ourselves to not having
over-air data transfers of that kind to our handsets just because it
does not fit in with the carriers business model?!
What I don't like (picture tiny stamping foot here...) is the fact that
we have such AWFUL bone headed, dead end, un-lust-worthy handsets aimed
at young consumers with attention spans that would disgrace a goldfish
here in Japan with the carriers not doing things that would directly
benefit consumers because they - the carriers - don't, or can't make
money out of it. Things like consumer level voip, for a start.
> In a few years, you will only get 3G and do not have
> the choice anymore between 2G or 3G.
>
> Did you try taking a steam engine pulled train from
> Tokyo to Osaka recently?
Your analogy does not work. Steam trains go slowly. Let me ask you -
how will a 3 second "I'm on the train" phone call over the 3G network
be "better" than the one over the 2G network?
Nick
Received on Tue Dec 7 12:05:44 2004