Wireless data services: "You are here"

A Red Herring article discusses where we are on the high-speed wireless data curve, comparing this period of network upgrades to the analog-to-digital transition of the last decade.

…the industry remains in the midst of its most difficult transition since the migration from analog to digital voice service in the mid-’90s. Back then, the business suffered through a period of substandard growth. Users didn’t want to buy new phones that would operate on the soon-to-be-outmoded analog network, but they also were reluctant to buy digital handsets until the necessary networks were built. Once nationwide digital networks were complete, however, handset sales took off, and the industry boomed.

Although there are useful insights in the article, it’s a bit confused. The article talks about a “transition” from wireless voice to wireless data services, but obviously data services simply supplant voice services. It’s also contradictory, in the subtitle asserting that “communications devices reflect the limitations of their underlying network” and then later declaring that “handsets that exploit the existing network will be far more compelling this holiday season than they were last”. It also claims that “Motorola has the most compelling handset product cycles”, which is completely ridiculous IMHO. Caveat lector. Link


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