tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post115433385367125026..comments2024-03-20T22:57:03.923+00:00Comments on Dean Bubley's Disruptive Wireless: WiFi phones: look, will you just forget about hotspots?Dean Bubleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05719150957239368264noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-1154404139582083872006-08-01T04:48:00.000+01:002006-08-01T04:48:00.000+01:00Nice rant and you're right in some ways. WiFi is n...Nice rant and you're right in some ways. WiFi is not very useable from a dual-mode phone right now, mainly because of authentication/login issues and general setup (it doesn't just work). However I see these as just software problems that should be overcome. <BR/>You seem to think operators will be driving this?! WTF? Don't you think the device manufacturers want to break free? <BR/>I think the jury's still out, but the potential is undeniable. Perhaps you're just saying it won't be realised rather than doesn't exist...Paul Jardinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14174519230653332835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-1154367665011974512006-07-31T18:41:00.000+01:002006-07-31T18:41:00.000+01:00Dean, very interesting article. I agree with most ...Dean, very interesting article. I agree with most of your statements. However, my vision on the future of VoWiFi is even darker than yours. Not only pure VoWiFi handsets will be a niche of a niche of a niche, as you rightly mention, but also the dual-mode GSM – WiFi handsets will not become mainstream at least in the next 5 years. This is mainly due, in my opinion, to two drivers:<BR/><BR/>a) The customer target segment is very small <BR/>b) Incumbents providers own a very dominant position in most of the European markets and won’t really try to mass market these solutions for many years on<BR/><BR/>The customer target segment is very small because is formed by telecom / savings fanatics. With telecom / savings fanatics I mean people<BR/><BR/>1) With a broadband connection home <BR/>2) With a fair technical background in order to tackle the inevitable issues that will arise when trying to set-up the dual-mode handsets<BR/>3) Very keen to better controlling their telecom bills (sometimes already paid by theirs employers). <BR/><BR/>How many telecom / savings fanatics have we in the Italy, Spain, Germany, France and UK? 10% of the overall broadband base? (that is, 5% of the overall GSM base?). I would say that even these figures are very optimistic. <BR/><BR/>Well, this segment, a minority, will be targeted by the offers of the incumbents, who, owning both GSM / DSL infrastructure in many countries (Telecom Italia in Italy, France Telecom in France, Telefonica in Spain), will fine-tune the offer just to put barriers against the competition (pure VoIP players), but without being very aggressive in price cutting / superior value. UK could represent the only market where competitive dynamics could develop more aggressively, but in the major European markets I don´t see this happening. <BR/><BR/>Bottom-line: I see a slowly growing (in absolute terms) niche market for dual-mode GSM – WiFi handsets. I would guess a maximum of 5% of the overall GSM base by 2011 (next 5 years).Francescohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03680556790723663295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-1154346971416736862006-07-31T12:56:00.000+01:002006-07-31T12:56:00.000+01:00Dean, I think you touched on the reason why VoWLAN...Dean, I think you touched on the reason why VoWLAN will/could be [very] successful. Most mobile user aren't mobile; they are transient users. I go from my house to work, stay there all day and then go home again. In a typical 17 hour day of wakefulness I am actually moving in more than one hotspot for about 2 to 3 hours. This is the best argument for VoWLAN. I don't need to messy business of hand-offs across cells. This relegates, at least in mind, to GSM being used for truly mobile users (train and car commute and the travelling salesman). http://www.produktiv.com/dm/orientexpression/2005/09/wimax-revolution.htmlDavid Mouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08159015140249161252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17500930.post-1154346581702184972006-07-31T12:49:00.000+01:002006-07-31T12:49:00.000+01:00Nice shot. Having spent the last 2 years with a Wi...Nice shot. Having spent the last 2 years with a WiFi network operator, you're comments are right on the money. Glad somebody out there can see the reality that no one inside the ropes wants to see.<BR/><BR/>wirefreedom<BR/>:-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com