Upwardly mobile?

25 July 2006

I remember some years ago having a briefing from executives at a service provider about WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and how it was set to revolutionise the way mobile users access the internet. It didn't, of course - and now it seems like the new .mobi domain could fall into the same trap.

From next month, anyone can register for .mobi domains - and there's expected to be a big rush, including technology start-ups wanting to offer services to consumers or the business market. The .mobi extension indicates that the website is optimised for viewing on mobile handsets, and the authorities are being strict in their demands about how that's applied.

But a whole host of commentators have expressed their opposition to the idea, on the grounds that it could create a separate mobile internet and fragment what is meant to be a ubiquitous technology. The gainsayers include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the Internet, who initially issued a strongly-worded condemnation of the idea but more recently announced that his open standards group would work with the new .mobi group on its plans (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5015856.stm ).

While they have a serious point, the real problem with .mobi is about practicalities. Yes, the technology exists to offer mobile internet services, and it's true that there are some killer applications such as ringtones - but the mass consumer market doesn't have powerful enough phones to make the experience that much different to the regular internet. That capability won't even come with 3G phones, but with the generation after that, which will bring a quantum shift in download speeds. This will be the point when mobile and interactive TV could really signify something different which the consumer will be willing to pay for.

The service provider I was speaking to all those years ago was getting very excited demonstrating a niche business use for WAP - updating your monthly management accounts via mobile phones. Personally, I struggled at the time with the notion of a CEO squinting at their management accounts over the phone when they could just as easily download them onto their laptop - just as I struggle to see someone bothering to watch EastEnders on a small underpowered device today. As with much in the tech sector, the hype brigade is in full flow - so if you're thinking of joining in as a developer, do it with a healthy dose of scepticism.

By David Longworth