* Rounding out reader responses to fixed vs. mobile networks debate
Today we continue our look at reader responses to a recent newsletter about whether mobile or fixed line operators will win the battle for customers.
Dan Morford who works with AT&T writes: “It’s a silly argument waged by silly people similar to those that predicted packet networks would kill private line, that the ‘IBM’ PC would drive Apple to extinction, or any number of similar ‘either/or’ debates we have seen in our industry.
“I, like you, look forward to continued advances in wireless technology, especially those like WiMAX which are positioned to positively impact the current last mile connection bottleneck. However, the big picture advantage comes from the enhanced capabilities of wireline AND wireless options combined, not one vs. the other.”
These sentiments are echoed by Dave Siegel, data services product development director at Global Crossing, who writes: “The beauty of communications these days is that it doesn’t matter what your access mechanism is. True mobility means getting on the network via whatever local means are available, whether it’s a corporate LAN, consumer broadband, Wi-Fi hot spot, WiMAX, 3G, or packet radio. Once you’re lit, your application should work (admittedly, packet radio is even more worthless than dial-up, but it’s the concept that counts in this case).”
Another reader, Dave Williams says it’s the phone companies that will win, “like they eventually do most of the time, at least for the 30-years I’ve been in this business,” he writes. “And hopefully the consumer and businesses [will win],” he adds. But which phone companies? “Looks like Verizon, SBC, Sprint [and] others for now,” he says. “Strategically there is no distinction between fixed or mobile from the carriers’ perspective since they will provide both. So some RBOCS won the battle but they start to look a whole lot like the same carriers we’ve always dealt with. The carriers will be providing all of these services in a few years and the ‘others’ will be left to niche markets.”
And finally we hear from Martin Johnsson who writes, “Both options will and need to be present. And I just use the simple rule of thumb, that fixed line will always be ahead when it comes to bandwidth, and thus (at least [for] high-end [usage] such as games, video, etc) new feature apps will target and find their way into the fixed line residential/enterprise market, and cellular/wireless will complement (oh yes, a huge complement). And to also put it slightly different; the price will always be lower for comparable apps on the fixed line market.”
Thanks for to all our readers for your valued insights.
