3G technology may be too rich for SA palate - iTouch comments

19 June 2002 News

The long-awaited debut of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) - which promises to provide a bevy of new mobile entertainment and business opportunities - is almost here.

However, Mike Hainebach, New Product Development Manager at top mobile communications application provider, iTouch, warns that SA may lag in the mobile telecoms arena beyond GPRS, given that the costs of its successor 3G (third generation wireless technology) may be prohibitive for our market.

"It is not clear if a developing market like ours can support the very costly wireless technologies based on 3G that are coming out around the globe. But we are very excited at the prospect of GPRS, which has awesome potential to support a host of creative applications. We envisage that it will have the potential to fill the gap we might experience if 3G is not financially viable in the SA market."

SMS applications are mutating and evolving to meet the constant challenge of consumer demand and enabling business applications. Adds Hainebach: "GPRS will revolutionise the messaging industry and its business applications will lead to more efficient companies. Already the marketing and advertising sector has cottoned onto bulk SMS. But GPRS will take this service so much further by enhancing the type of messages and information companies can send. Multi Media Services (SMS on steroids) are on their way. This will allow the transmission of TV-like clips - sports highlights or business presentations - to cellphones. This is but one of the applications which will be made possible through the use of GPRS."

However, Hainebach concludes that for the SA market, which has a relatively high cellphone take-up, but very low PC and Internet access beyond the workplace, may have to use business models that are different from the rest of the world, making for interesting times ahead for this industry in SA.

iTouch, 021 415 2166

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