C|NET: "Tough Sell for Wireless Data Services"

[Jason Dunn]

http://news.com.com/2100-1039_3-5176279.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news

"Thousands of cell phone industry executives are set to gather in Atlanta next week, in search of new data applications to offset plunging calling rates--but analysts say they could be in for a disappointment. Better devices and higher bandwidth mean that wireless data applications--such as instant messaging on cell phones--no longer have to be a mind- and thumb-numbing exercise. But in the United States, the second-largest cell phone market in the world, it's still a lot more convenient to use a wired Internet connection. "Data just isn't growing" for the wireless market, Gartner analyst Paul Dittner said."

[Jason Dunn]

http://news.com.com/2100-1039_3-5176279.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news

"Thousands of cell phone industry executives are set to gather in Atlanta next week, in search of new data applications to offset plunging calling rates--but analysts say they could be in for a disappointment. Better devices and higher bandwidth mean that wireless data applications--such as instant messaging on cell phones--no longer have to be a mind- and thumb-numbing exercise. But in the United States, the second-largest cell phone market in the world, it's still a lot more convenient to use a wired Internet connection. "Data just isn't growing" for the wireless market, Gartner analyst Paul Dittner said."

[brntcrsp]

and it couldn't be be because the rates are so prohibitively high, that's just silly talk...

[possmann]

I think it has a lot to do with the culture (ok - and the rates :lol: )

We in the USA still view them as PHONES and not devices to use to connect to the internet, send/receive data with. The messenging craze was over in Europe long before it was here in the US - had nothing to do with rates, but everything to do with style of communication and culture me thinks.