Information anytime, anywhere: That is the promise of the IT revolution. The next step in the march toward the networked world was supposed to take place this month, when NTT DoCoMo and British Telecommunications launched the world's first third-generation (3G) cellphone services. We are marching in place: Both DoCoMo and BT announced that they were delaying introduction of the much-hyped service, magnifying jitters about the viability of 3G technology and putting new pressure on the telecoms companies that paid extravagantly for their licenses.
3G leaps into a new world of mobile telephony. It is supposed to give consumers access to the Internet, as well as voice, data, video and music at speeds that could reach more than 40 times faster than existing services. While the telecommunications industry has bet its future on 3G, analysts have questioned the move. They worry that neither the market nor the technology is ready and that the 110 billion euros ($100 billion) European carriers paid for 3G licenses will not be recouped.
The two delays, each reportedly caused by the same type of software glitch, have compounded the fears. BT has admitted that a bug is to blame for the delay of its high-profile Isle of Man project; DoCoMo's official explanation is that more tests are needed. As DoCoMo already runs i-mode, the world's most successful mobile Internet access service, its troubles are a bad sign for the entire industry.