T-Mobile boss slams mobile Internet cynics

[Hands0n]

At last, some sensible spoutings from the Mobile Network Operators (well, at least one of them so far ......).

Chief executive Rene Obermann claims that Internet access will soon revolve around the mobile phone

T-Mobile chief executive Rene Obermann today hit out at mobile Internet doubters, comparing them to the analysts who predicted mobiles would only be used by 25 percent of the population.

Obermann criticised the "cynicism" around mobile Internet use and "experts" unimpressed with Web access on mobiles. "Experts are usually wrong with these predictions," he said.

The T-Mobile boss, however, announced some pretty bold predictions himself. "To date, Internet traffic has been fixed line," he said. "Mobile will be the centre of the Internet."

"The growth of data and Internet traffic will displace fixed line," he added.

However, Obermann did acknowledge there have been some problems with the Internet experience on phones to date, with WAP giving the Web on mobiles a bad name.

"The user interface is not that easy... We told people they could surf the Web [but] until now that hasn't been true," he said.

Obermann has his own ideas on how user interfaces should develop to cope with the demands of surfing on a mobile.

"Ultimately, you'll be able to ask your mobile — literally ask with your personal voice — and your hopefully T-Mobile will deliver," he said. "We all know that future is a long way off."


Article source: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communicatio...9238652,00.htm

Question - "How soon is 'soon'"? Because if it is still a long way off in the MNO's minds then there will be much customer dissatisfaction as they become more network savvy.

I believe that we're quite well beyond "early adopter" territory in terms of Internet data access either via or direct to the mobile handset. But the market will not mature as long as the data charges are so prohibitively expensive. T-Mobile are hardly leading the way, despite recent data tariff change announcements by Vodafone and 3. It feels like the MNOs are milking the traditionally high data tariffs for all they are worth before bring them down to encourage more widespread usage, and therefore increase ARPU.

But at least it has been said by someone in the business now, and I am very inclined to agree with him about the so-called [cynical] "experts".

Mobile will only "be the centre of the Internet" if the MNOs make it affordable for that to be the case. Right now it is not.