3G Doldrums

CNET is running a Reuters report on the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France. This is a gathering of people from all the companies that have stakes in next-generation mobile telephony.

The article reports that telecommunications companies have become wary of further investment in "3G" technologies when there isn't a lot of evidence that there's a lot of money to be made in the market.

"3G technology is ready. The thing is now to turn it into a mass market product," said Kurt Hellstrom, the head of the world's largest mobile network maker, Ericsson of Sweden. "Many different players need to work together," he said.

These companies are all looking for the "killer application" or applications that will catapult demand for high-speed data transport over mobile phones.

I want high-speed mobile data, but I don't want it for little telephone cameras, or to download games to a phone, nor really for anything else to do with the phone. I'll want a 3G phone when I can use it as a data conduit for more flexible devices. For example, I want to be able to set a laptop computer (or handheld device) next to my wireless phone and be able to access the internet over a high-speed connection. Some phones will have (already have?) the Bluetooth wireless technology to make this possible, though I don't know how secure Bluetooth is (I don't want the guy across the table with his laptop using my phone connection without my permission.) Perhaps the phone and the PDA will be built into one device, in which case it needs to be full-featured as far as both are concerned-- all the benefits of a phone and all the benefits of a PDA.

I don't want a fancy videophone. I don't want a camera in my phone. I want something to use with my computer. I don't know how much effort the wireless companies are putting into that market, though, or if it's even much of a market.

Wow, I guess it's really been a big day for the telecom topic here. I ought to find something else to talk about.