What is the replacement

It now seems official, WAP (the wireless internet protocols) is officially dead. The main cellphone companies want to disassociate themselves from it. The replacement is as yet undecided.

Of significant importance in the decision of what will replace WAP will be the understanding of the demand for wireless internet communications. On this front there is some growing feeling that the demand may not be what people thought it was. It seems the telco's are obfuscating their numbers, or just not saying anything. This is not good. Without usage numbers for the service, investors are not inclined to to get involved and invest. So what is going on?

It would seem that in the USA, at least, demand for cell phone internet access has collapsed. It is just not there. Yes, there are vocal and enthusiastic users, but they are a tiny force and limited to one or two market areas. Their use of the system cannot justify its expansion or upgrade. As players like Ricochet find that Chapter 11 is more appealing than further business, the pressure to retrench the system is growing.

G2.5 (with GPS and higher bandwidth, but not the full G3 capability) coming on-stream, we may see some pickup in how these devices relate to a business model that will generate revenue. But if the GPS features lead to advertisers plugging some geographically oriented audience, and doing with all the subtely the industry has seen so far, even G2.5 might fall on deaf ears. And there is that Big Brother looking over your shoulder aspect to the technology, too.

Much needs to be done to provide wireless with an adequate and extendable technology to provide handheld and cellphone users with internet services, but then again may be the various user groups are just too diverse for a common technology solution?