3GNewsroom.com Weekly Round Up and Comments
David Yuen - December 16, 2002
Our round up and comments of the past week's main stories from
our editor.
******** THIS WEEK ********
- Hutchison 3G price plan neglects the average consumers
- DoCoMo finally releases longer battery life handsets
- Vodafone to partner rival Hutchison
- Nothing special at the ITU Telecom event
- Gift ideas for Christmas
****************************
>>> Hutchison 3G price plan neglects the average consumers
Hutchison 3G announced its price plan for the UK market but hasn't
promised the service will launch by the end of the year.
Monthly tariffs range from £59.99 to £99.99. The tariffs will likely
include different amounts of voice and video call minutes, number
of text, picture and video messages and data content download. Hutchison
did not specify the monthly allowance in each of the monthly tariffs
and kept quiet on the details.
Customers have 3 choice of handsets - NEC e606, Motorola A830 and
NEC e808. NEC e808 will retail at £449 and the other two handsets
at £399.
Some analysts and media criticised Hutchison's price plan and handsets
as being too expensive and aiming for the heavy mobile user. Hutchison
has acknowledged the tariffs are targeted at heavy spending users.
It is understandable why the media has criticised the operator.
The handset prices are extremely expensive compared with current
2G handsets and very few mobile users spend more than £50 a month
on mobile phone bills.
But people forget how expensive it is to deploy 3G. Third generation
handsets are costly to develop and manufacture, costing far more
than 2G handsets. As the technology for 3G handsets improves over
time, the cost will fall and eventually have cheaper handsets in
the future. How often have new state of the art technology been
affordable when they are first released?
Hutchison has probably got their strategy right. It is releasing
the service to consumers who appreciate the benefits of 3G. Most
mobile phone users require voice and text message services rather
than the high speed data services on offer by 3G. If they have no
desire to use or access data services and content, there are few
reasons to subscribe to 3G services. Users who require data services,
such as internet access, would probably be those who are spending
over £40 a month on phone bills already.
As Hutchison is the first operator in the UK to release commercial
3G services, all eyes would be on the operator. It would be dangerous
to release the service to the mass market if the service does not
live up to expectations.
>>> DoCoMo finally releases longer battery life handsets
FOMA has released 3 new handsets with longer battery life following
criticism that previous FOMA handsets ran out of batteries too quickly.
The new terminals have standby time that last from 170 hours to
250 hours compared with the longest standby time for previous handsets
of 125hours.
The P2102V, the more impressive of the 3 new handsets, has a 262,144
full-colour TFT screen which can rotate 360 degrees. It accepts
SD memory card that can store up to about 3 hours of video. Users
can record and transmit video clips while having videoconferences
The announcement has solved one of the problems FOMA handsets are
facing but it has not corrected the problem of a lack of network
coverage. The next step for FOMA would be to introduce dual mode
handsets to address the coverage issue so users can still have voice
conversation when there is no 3G coverage.
>>> Vodafone to partner rival Hutchison
In an unusual move, Vodafone Australia said it intends to share
a 3G network with rival Hutchison. Company managing director Grahame
Maher said in the short term Vodafone would buy capacity from Hutchison
and would consider buying the network in the long term.
He said since Hutchison and Vodafone are global competitors, it
would be sensible to purchase Hutchison's new network.
Considering the uncertainty over 3G uptake in Australia, sharing
network is most probably the best decision to take. If operators
built their own network, it would hardly reach full capacity and
a waste of resources. Analysts say Hutchison would benefit from
the partnership as Vodafone GSM subscribers would migrate to Hutchison's
3G network.
-- Vodafone willing to buy Hutchison's 3G network
http://afr.com/companies/2002/12/09/FFXVG00UF9D.html
>>> Nothing special at the ITU Telecom event
The ITU Telecom Asia 2002 held last week was overall disappointing
and only two third the size of the event two years ago, reflected
by the telecom downturn. Most booths were manned by sales or press
officers that could not answer technical questions while certain
staffs were incapable of operating particular menus in the phone.
The good part was onlookers could experiment handsets with a live
network such as the DoCoMo booth. Visitors could try live video
conferencing that is currently being offered in Japan and were impressed
by the experience. Many current 3G handsets and concept phones were
featured in the show that could be tried by visitors.
To see pictures of the event please go to:
http://www.3gnewsroom.com/html/images/itu_telecom_2002.shtml
>>> Gift ideas for Christmas
Since Christmas is also upon us, 3GNewsroom.com recommends three
gifts to get for Christmas. For the novices who wants to learn about
3G, the book 'Introduction to 3G Mobile Communications' is a great
gift. The book covers the basics of 3G with easy to understand illustrations.
UK buyers: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/158053287X/3gnewsroom
USA buyers:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158053287X/3gnewsroom-20
For the advance readers who have basic knowledge of 3G 'IP for
3G: Networking Technologies for Mobile Communications' should prove
an interesting read. The book describes the IP architecture and
how IP will affect 3G services.
UK buyers: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471486973/3gnewsroom
USA buyers:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471486973/3gnewsroom-20
For US consumers who wants to purchase a phone for Christmas, the
'PCS Phone Samsung A500 (Sprint)' is the ideal gift. A stylish light
weigh colour phone that allows customisation with polyphonic ringtones
and screen saver.
USA buyers only: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006FMWK/3gnewsroom-20
****************************
All comments and suggestions are welcome. Please send them to davidyuen@3gnewsroom.com
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