Mobile Vs Fixed Internet
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
A very nice post on the mobile vs fixed internet access by Dean Bubley. His blog is a must read for anyone tracking this space.
The predominant view in India is that the Mobile Internet will dominate the Fixed PC based Internet. The explosive growth of mobile phones is often cited as a reason for it. The shenanigan's have been touting the mobile platform and it is one of the reasons why Mobile VAS is such a hot segment these days. Mobile VAS seems to be the way of bridging the gap between the Fixed Internet and Mobile Internet. Adapt a service from the web on to the mobile and mint some money.
The contrarian view to it is that the heavy duty work will always be done on a Fixed PC connection. The mobile broadband services in India do not provide the same experience that a Fixed Line, 256 Kbps based internet access does. Which makes the user go back to doing the real work when online. Even if the mobile phones match the capabilities of computer, it will be difficult for this generation to change their habits and switch to a mobile based platform for all the work.
Which leaves one big question: what would be the preffered access method for people who have never experienced internet? How will they look at Internet, how will they use Internet? Should we even bother to get them on Internet? I have been thinking about this since one of our speakers in Mobile Monday events, Dr. GV pointed it out.
What should be the focus of Mobile VAS in India? Bridging the gap or providing new services which are one generation ahead of the internet.
Tags: Mobile Internet, Fixed Internet, Broadband, Mobile Monday.
The predominant view in India is that the Mobile Internet will dominate the Fixed PC based Internet. The explosive growth of mobile phones is often cited as a reason for it. The shenanigan's have been touting the mobile platform and it is one of the reasons why Mobile VAS is such a hot segment these days. Mobile VAS seems to be the way of bridging the gap between the Fixed Internet and Mobile Internet. Adapt a service from the web on to the mobile and mint some money.
The contrarian view to it is that the heavy duty work will always be done on a Fixed PC connection. The mobile broadband services in India do not provide the same experience that a Fixed Line, 256 Kbps based internet access does. Which makes the user go back to doing the real work when online. Even if the mobile phones match the capabilities of computer, it will be difficult for this generation to change their habits and switch to a mobile based platform for all the work.
Which leaves one big question: what would be the preffered access method for people who have never experienced internet? How will they look at Internet, how will they use Internet? Should we even bother to get them on Internet? I have been thinking about this since one of our speakers in Mobile Monday events, Dr. GV pointed it out.
What should be the focus of Mobile VAS in India? Bridging the gap or providing new services which are one generation ahead of the internet.
Tags: Mobile Internet, Fixed Internet, Broadband, Mobile Monday.
6 Comments:
Said 
SG, 1:44 AM
SG, 1:44 AM
Interesting that Dr GV's provocation has resurfaced - my take is this - This generation needs to invest in making and providing for the next generation of users.
My son will most likely get on to mobile internet through his high school and college years...
He is 4 years old now - So I am talking of 10 years form now when it will be business as usual to transact just about anything from your hand phone / device...
Come to think of it - 10 years is also touted as the adoption time for LTE - somewhere I tend to believe that it matches... OFDM on the Tower to Handset link and upscale HSUPA evolutions / or EVDO evolutions on Handset to Tower...
I also wonder if it is really required to make all that heavy duty thingies available in a hand device / phone...
Forget about all that - look at another perspective - Bits per Hz - today Copper provides for 20BpH and technologies like HSxPA promise 5 and Technologies like LTE perhaps 2 ?
I need copper like effect on my hand device...
Therefore one won't replace the other - The challenge is to get applications and innovations to be made available since you now have a PC (x86) compute power in your hand phone!
There will be market share for both - on either PC or mobile - in my view the jury is out...
The bits per Hz angle is a nice meter for comparison. To think of it, the problem really lies in Mobility. The BpH is highest in Fiber and copper obviously because there is a guaranteed bandwith. Wireless is a complete different ballgame. Lots of factors come into play.
Wonder whether Moore's law will be applicable here as well. Maybe wireless broadband will catch up to copper faster!
I'll think about the Moore's Law and the Wireless Broadband catching up with Copper - With the current perils in mobility - I infact think of Young's Modulus! A sort of limit on the BpH for mobile wireless...
Hello! Great review!
Wireless Internet is the key to the furure ;-) .
Do you use Opera Mini for mobile browsing?I think it's the best , and the fastest.
Besides, the upcoming version 4. is going to revolutionize mobile(wireless) browsing even more.
Please consider writing a blogpost about it.
You can use ont of these Mini buttons. ^_^
nice
