3G delay prompts deployment of i-Mode

UK operators will adopt i-Mode in the delayed run-up to a full third-generation (3G) launch in 2003-4, according to a new report from Tarifica, part of PBI media consultancy.

The report, I-Mode in Europe: Entertainment and Content for the European Audience, claims that operators can recoup some of the heavy 3G licence costs by rolling out alternative 3G-type services over GPRS networks.

I-Mode could encourage more users to take advantage of data services designed for wideband and broadband networks by generating new forms of content and entertainment delivery, and creating demand in the youth market.

Nicholas McNulty, associate consultant at Tarifica, and the report's author, explained that there are no major technological problems in deploying i-Mode over a GPRS network. "I-Mode uses compressed HTML, so it is easier to provide content than it was to provide content for Wap," he said.

I-Mode's Japanese success was based on the range and quality of the content available from its launch date. European operators that want to emulate its success should follow NTT DoCoMo's business model which saw the Japanese network operator taking a small percentage of the billing fees, allowing its partner content channels to pick up substantial revenues.

UK operators are interested in i-Mode, but neither BT nor Orange had made any decision. McNulty believes that Vodafone would be an excellent candidate for the service. "If anyone could have i-Mode up and running by the end of the year, it's Vodafone. It has the right network and a suitable customer base," he said.

McNulty added that it was feasible for operators to run i-Mode and Wap services in parallel, migrating from GSM to GPRS and then to UMTS. He predicted that i-Mode and Wap would eventually merge to form a new standard based on XML.

Also published in Network News

See also:

KPN deal sees iMode go Dutch

Telco trials NTT DoCoMo phone service in Holland and Belgium  18 Dec 2001

Orange turns to others for development

While the Orange flotation failed to sparkle earlier this year, it is not all doom and gloom for the telco.  17 Jun 2001

DoCoMo deluged by 3G customer complaints

Japanese telecoms company NTT DoCoMo has recalled 1400 third generation mobiles amid a storm of customer complaints, faulty hardware and hacking concerns.  15 Jun 2001

3G: Beyond the hype

The third-generation (3G) licence frenzy has left mobile operators with empty pockets and a head full of hype, wondering whether they can find a killer app to justify the billions spent on the licences.  01 May 2001

'Extreme programming' in the pipeline

Companies with mobile internet sites and mobile network operators are being offered a technology which allows their mobile content to be read by any device using any platform, including Wap rival iMode.  14 Nov 2000

Like this story? Spread the news by clicking below:

 del.icio.us     Digg this     reddit!