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China Mobile Targets Internet
China Mobile Communications Corp will focus on WAP-enabled new business services in an attempt to develop the emerging mobile Internet market.
Mobile Internet and mobile datacom businesses have been designated as key business activities by China's largest mobile communications operator.
"The mobile Internet is becoming a reality and we must prepare for this trend," said Zhang Ligui, president of China Mobile.
Zhang said the company will make full use of market opportunities and new technological support to provide WAP-based mobile Internet services.
WAP (wireless application protocol) applications enable users to log onto the Internet using mobile phones.
China Mobile began providing trial WAP service in the country's large cities in March.
The company predicts that WAP-enabled service consumers will hit 800,000 this year in China and the number will increase to 4 million in 2001.
However, the market demand for mobile Internet services during recent months did not rise to the service operator's expectations. Mass consumers still favor regular voice-only handsets; WAP-enabled phones have moved slowly.
Lu Xiangdong, vice-president of China Mobile, attributed the weak demand to inferior services provided by telecom operators, information service providers and mobile phone producers.
"The operators should step up their efforts to expand bandwidths required for quality data transmission speeds," said Lu.
The current narrow-band mobile network greatly limits the quantity and speed of data transmission.
Lu said Internet Content Providers (ICPs) should not copy information designed for desktops to support mobile phones.
"We must specially design content which can meet people's demands in a mobile situation," Lu said.
He said the relatively higher price of WAP phones also contributed to the sluggish sales.
"The mobile Internet market should be cultivated through the combined efforts of all involved," said Lu.
China Mobile plans to accelerate its deployment of a GPRS (general packet radio system) network, a transitional step for the current GSM system to become a third-generation telecom network.
Lu said the GPRS system trial in the country's four cities is expected to be commercialized early next year.
"The enhancement of WAP accession speeds based on the GPRS system will greatly improve our services," said Lu.
China Mobile also proposes to establish a mobile Internet portal by making use of its Internet accession resources.
The first-phase project of CMnet, which will cover nine cities, will provide services for both mobile and fixed Internet accession, virtual private networks, IP phone and Internet data centre services.
"We will intensify our co-operation with the country's ICPs to provide comprehensive content for mobile phone users on our portal," said Lu.
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