World Telecommunication Day 1999 |
The next generation of wireless hardware aims to let consumers easily access Internet-based information from wireless phones and other devices. These third-generation products and services are already being rolled out in some parts of the globe.
With wireless data service-related revenue expected to grow from $460 million in 1999 to $3 billion in 2003, many players are eager to invest in the best technology possible.
The wireless Internet should have a tremendous effect on electronic commerce - both through a new mode of delivering advertisements as well as a new route for consumer purchasing.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland says sales of Internet-capable phones will outpace those of laptop computers in just two years. These phones combine many of the characteristics of a personal computer - word processing, calendar, e-mail and Internet access - with the functions of a mobile phone.
In the United States, ''The Bell companies are very active in wireless Internet,'' says Robert Rosenberg, president of Insight Research Corp. in Parsippany, N.J. In Europe, phone makers such as Nokia and Ericsson are focused on introducing devices on the Continent.
Have data, will travel
What is driving demand for wireless Internet products? According to industry analysts, as people have more access to the Internet through wired and wireless devices, the use of these products is becoming more widespread.
In addition, deregulation of the world's telecommunications markets has enabled service providers to step up to the plate and satisfy demand. ''Communications dealers are finally able to offer a complete set of products they couldn't offer before,'' says Pascal Aguirre, a principal with Renaissance Worldwide Inc., an information technology consulting firm. Technology and international standards associated with the latest innovations, of course, also play a critical role in this developing field.
In 1997, Phone.com, a software maker in Redwood City, Calif., co-founded the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum with Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola. The group issued technical guidelines for the delivery of Internet-based services through wireless devices in 1998. Today, more than 100 phone operators and equipment makers participate in the group's activities. Phone.com says that 23 phone makers had licensed its operating system as of May. At least five of these wireless phone manufacturers have already begun shipping phones with the WAP system.
With Nokia's 7110 phone, for example, users can access information such as news, weather, sports, stock prices and exchange rates from the Internet. The dual-band GSM 900/1800 phone was introduced in February and supports 34 languages, including Chinese.
Later this year, U.S.-based Sprint PCS plans to launch sales and services associated with other smartphones, such as the San Diego-based Qualcomm's pdQ smartphone, which lets users work on the popular Palm Computing platform and supports Internet access.
According to Paul Jacobs, president of Qualcomm's consumer products division, ''Qualcomm's pdQ smartphone is the only product in the smartphone category to combine the popular Palm Computing platform and its broad developer base with wireless access using standard Internet protocols.''
One of the most ambitious wireless hardware applications to date is Inmarsat's Global Area Network (GAN), consisting of a four-kilogram (nine-pound) mobile satellite ISDN terminal that connects to a PC and offers 64- or 56-kilobit-per-second connections worldwide. The GAN provides connection ports for standard notebook computers and personal digital assistants, and is, according to Inmarsat Projects Marketing Manager Andrew Ivey, ''the fastest device offering this kind of portability.''
GAN provides a glimpse of the future of wireless communications, with local area network, wide area network and PC-based applications compatibility. ''It is geared toward the business-to-business audience who works in parts of the world where cellular service doesn't,'' says Mr. Ivey. ''For example, mining company employees commonly use front-end e-commerce applications in their work. With GAN, they can access their LAN from anywhere in the world at high bandwidths.''
GAN is initially intended for high-end applications, such as video streaming and other large data transfers, but it provides a preview of the world to come for consumers.
Janet Purdy Levaux