| Author |
Operators have themself to blame |
ppcrockar
Joined: Mar 04, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Sweden
PM |
I recently read that approx. 15% of all the people who have bought GPRS phones here in Sweden have a GPRS contract. And even less are using it reguarly.
I think the operators have themself to blame for this. They haven't created any services at all that actually put GPRS/Wap to good use. All the operators are just chickens in Sweden, and all services they create uses SMS. Many of the services would be perfect for wap but they just release a SMS version because that is safe and generates easy money. But they should be thinking about it in a bigger perspective. It's their own fault that few people uses GPRS/Wap. GPRS has been available for over a year and there are no services that uses it. Ok there are a few nice Wap pages like Esato 
Furthermore do they expect people to buy 3G phones just to be able to use SMS services (I really hope not.. in that case 3G is doomed) If they had created services that really put GPRS to good use, a lot of people would like to upgrade to the faster connections that 3G phones can provide.
And why on earth hasn't they launched MMS here in Sweden yet. They are just saying that there isn't enough MMS phones on the market. There is a few phones available why not start the services and market them a lot and there will be a demand for that type of phones.
Well.. just a few complaints.. | |
|
Swag
Joined: Jun 21, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Oslo, Norway
PM |
you can move to norway. if you want to use mms, i mean. i agree on your topics regarding gprs. if simple users knew what gprs was, i think that would boost the interest for wap.
This post was posted from a WAP device |
ShawO
Joined: Jun 09, 2002
Posts: 248
From:
PM |
Couldn't agree with you more!
The exact same thing is happening here plus my network operator recently even took their WAP site down! There were quite a number of "useful" services on it but ...SIGH...
Personally I think they are all just out to make money...
extorting their customers by charging silly prices over simple text based services which cost them next to nothing to provide!
MMS hasn't taken off yet over here too...
they were so excited over it way back in June and now...
not even a news about it ...SIGH... |
NokiaKilla
Joined: Sep 01, 2002
Posts: 129
From: Philippines
PM |
Here's what we have in the Philippines:
SMS - operators earn millions in just a minute
MMS - we have it but not too many using it (only T68 and 7650 users only)
WAP - we have it a long time ago (free first minute)
GPRS - STILL FREE (what I am using right now) 
3G - no avalable phone yet.
Why we have all of this? 
FACTS
Population: 82,841,518 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.87% (male 15,547,712; female 14,997,544)
15-64 years: 59.45% (male 24,374,849; female 24,873,595)
65 years and over: 3.68% (male 1,355,046; female 1,692,772) (2001 est.)
(all figures take from www.cia.gov)
Manila alone has 10+ million population
Cellphone in the Philippines are not expensive.
Almost anywhere (Grade V up to High School) you can see them with their cellphones.
I don't know how many cellphone users we have here in the Philippines. I have two in my possession, one for SMS and the other for GPRS.
Maybe that's the reason why we all have it all.
GoWin can you hellp me with the figures?
|
Deltayoda
Joined: Mar 03, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Los Angeles, California
PM |
I think most providers are just simply exploiting the stupidity of most buyers. In California, the majority who think they have GPRS do not have GPRS, and they don't even know what it is.
Then they also charge heavily on SMS for both incoming and outgoing nowadays (Cingular for example), and completly block out WAP sites that use any type of instant messaging like AIM or WAP88's site. These companies want to make money, and GPRS is not the way to go for them to make any kind of money when the majority is completly clueless.
I think this goes for the whole entire world, especially in Europe.
I would really prefer if they allowed SMS service to be used as GPRS and counted as DATA, instead of paying 5 cents per a message, but that's not going to happen any time soon. |
Cophia
Joined: Jul 22, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney
PM |
A huge amount of money is made on SMS, GPRS only products are not a profit maker as not everyone has GPRS phone and tariff (there are no killer applications, only faster connection speeds to regular CSD services).
MMS is the first real application (in the U.K.) that uses GPRS as an advantage as CSD is too slow to send an MMS quickly. There are a lot of compatibility issues with MMS, the servers that handle the MMS and the handsets are still new and have teething problems. Interoperability of MMS between handsets like the Nokia 7650 and Sony Ercisson T68i are difficult, let along accross different operator's MMS servers. In fact, early firmware versions of the T68i can be incompatible with many MMS servers across GPRS.
If anyone is good enough to come up with a money earner to increase data revenues with GPRS, you will be rich.
|
pinolo77
Joined: Jan 17, 2002
Posts: 390
From: Lugaggia, Switzerland
PM |
There already are lots of them... But noone implements them and the majority of operators are BROKE or close to it because of 3G...
That was the biggest mistake in mobile phone history! And we are paying the price for it.
Operators squeeze existing technology until the last drop and only then invest in something new... I think there is some sort of agreement among them for not pushing too hard on the accelerator.
Ideas are there... Newspapers, calendars, instant messaging, e-mail everywhere, backgrounds, games, sounds, chat, discussion forums, MMS....
But, how many operators have a color version of their WAP page? How many operators have made agreements with content creators to have exclusive delivery of some products (special games just if you subscribe with us and so on..).
There isn't the money and there isn't the WILL. You have to have courage, and after 3G bids that is really the last thing they think about.
They will be f**d by Wi-Fi and  by the time they realize what happened... 
At least in big cities (where big money is made...)
Just wait and see... Hope I am wrong, but I am afraid I am right.
Another thing I would like to say is that the user should not be aware of using gprs (don't get me wrong, I want to say that there shouldn't be any procedure to access the GPRS). In the phone OS such options should be embedded. Once you sign a contract with the operator you give them you main interests... And, on your phone you will be able to access to some sort of "my news" menu. And there you will find everything. Not have to connect, insert an URL and wait and surf. It wouldn't be too difficult to create, particularly as technology develops...
And what about advertisement incomes or selling information to companies about the exact profile of the people who subscribed, what they visit and everything. That would be a gold mine...
But again, you should invest...
| |
|
Access the forum with a mobile phone via esato.mobi
|
Posted: 2002-10-02 12:58
