#TBT: Cell’s future is enjoyable, video games and digicam telephones; Cingular within the Large Apple; Canadian wi-fi expects a increase … this week in 2002

Editor’s Notice: RCR Wi-fi Information goes all in for “Throwback Thursdays,” tapping into our archives to resuscitate the highest headlines from the previous. Hearth up the time machine, placed on these sepia-tinted shades, set the date for #TBT and benefit from the reminiscences!

Cell’s future is … enjoyable and video games?

CHESTERFIELD, Miss.-Whereas business leaders have knocked across the thought of a killer utility in wi-fi for years, a brand new report from Datacomm Analysis Firm and Phoenician Ventures pegs it squarely on cell video games and handsets with shade screens. “Colourful cell video games, polyphonic ring tones and functions/content material for over-the-air obtain will unfold like wildfire as 2.5 and 3G providers roll out,” stated Ira Brodsky, Datacomm’s president. “Main client manufacturers will pounce on cell leisure as a brand new promoting medium.” … Learn extra

Digicam telephone gross sales surge in Japan

TOKYO-Shipments of cell phones with cameras surged from 6 million models in 2001 to 23 million models in 2003 in Japan, in accordance with a survey performed by a analysis institute. Cellphones with cameras have develop into well-liked in Japan after J-Telephone, a Vodafone Group firm, launched the primary such handset by way of its “sha-mail” service final 12 months. Sha means taking an image in Japanese. To journey on the large increase, each KDDI and NTT DoCoMo launched their very own cell phones with cameras. NTT DoCoMo on 17 July launched two new cell phones with cameras, one manufactured by Fujitsu and the opposite manufactured by Mitsubishi Electrical. Yano Analysis Institute, a significant market analysis firm in Japan, stated in a report launched on 15 July that shipments of camera-enabled cell phones will surge in Japan because of NTT DoCoMo’s entrance into the market. … Learn extra

Cingular launches GSM in NYC

NEW YORK-Cingular Wi-fi formally launched its GSM service in New York Metropolis as we speak, inserting the nation’s second-largest service in 43 of the highest 50 markets nationwide and masking 217 million potential clients. The service makes use of VoiceStream Wi-fi’ GSM/Basic Packet Radio Service (GPRS) community as a part of the carriers’ beforehand introduced network-sharing settlement. … Learn extra

China Cell expects to hit 50 billion SMS in a 12 months

BEIJING-Li Yue, vp of China Cell, introduced on the GSM China 2002 convention that China Cell’s clients are anticipated to ship 50 billion brief messages this 12 months, up from 15.9 billion final 12 months. Prospects of rival China Unicom despatched 3 billion messages final 12 months. China Cell expects 5 billion yuan (US$604 million) in income this 12 months from its SMS providers. … Learn extra

China’s largest paging producer stops manufacturing

BEIJING-Ningbo Fowl, China’s largest producer of pagers, phased out its pager manufacturing this month. When the paging enterprise was at its peak in 2000, Ningbo Fowl’s market share was second solely to Motorola. Fowl additionally operated paging providers in 14 cities. The entire variety of paging customers in China dropped from 43.84 million on the finish of 2000 to 25 million by the top of Could. In response to business specialists, the paging enterprise in China is anticipated to vanish. … Learn extra

In Canada, airport vs. MNOs

TORONTO-Airports throughout North America are carefully watching the battle between Canada’s 4 wi-fi carriers and Pearson Worldwide Airport that has left vacationers with diminished ranges of cell-phone service. Business sources stated the disagreement between the Larger Toronto Airport Authority and the 4 carriers is unprecedented and will decide how different airports in Canada and america strike contracts with mobile-phone firms. This week, the airport authority began to dam cell-phone reception within the terminals whereas wi-fi operators fought again by redirecting close by transmitters. The dispute at Pearson facilities on how a lot Bell Mobility, Telus Mobility, Rogers Wi-fi and Microcell Telecommunications are being requested to pay to improve wi-fi service and for lease charges for retaining signal-boosting gear on airport premises. Below an expired five-year contract, every service paid $13,000 a 12 months in lease charges and collectively spent greater than $5.3 million on infrastructure. The airport authority needs to spice up that charge to $65,800 with a big funding from the carriers to supply wi-fi protection to one hundred pc of the airport. … Learn extra

Canadian wi-fi customers anticipated to double in 4 years

TORONTO-The variety of Canadians utilizing cell phones is anticipated to greater than double in the course of the subsequent 4 years, with the most important development spurt within the teenage and company functions markets, in accordance with a brand new IDC Canada report. IDC forecasted that wi-fi penetration in Canada will leap to 70.2 p.c, or 22.6 million customers, by 2006 in contrast with 34.4 p.c, or 10.7 million customers, in 2001. IDC additionally expects the scale of the wi-fi market to extend 42 p.c to C$9.3 billion (US$6 billion) from C$6.1 billion (US$4 billion). An enormous marketplace for Canada’s 4 main wi-fi carriers-Rogers AT&T, Microcell, Telus Mobility and Bell Mobility-is the 13- to 19-year-old section, which constitutes 20 p.c of the present market, however is rising at twice the general price. … Learn extra

Take a look at the RCR Wi-fi Information Archives for extra tales from the previous.