IDC Finds Wi-Fi Hotspots Unattractive
Posted: 11th Sep, 2003 By: MarkJ
No surprises here; the IDC's latest research into the mobile Internet market has found that just 30% of the groups 2,500 Mobile Advisory Council (MAC) admit to having used Wi-Fi:
Now, public hotspot usage is known to be limited to a relatively small number of individuals. But it has been assumed that there is demand for public wireless Internet access among mobile professionals - the 'road warrior' of legend. Indeed, most public Wi-Fi business models are based on that very assumption. High roll-out costs are being predicated on these early adopters' willingness to pay through the nose for high-speed Internet access in coffee bars, hotels, airports and the like.
The IDC data suggests that assumption may be flawed. IDC's MAC is made up of the very folk hotspot companies are hoping to attract. And yet almost three-quarters of the MAC - classic early adopters to a man or woman - do not use public Wi-Fi hotpots, Randy Giusto, VP of IDC's Personal Technologies and Services team told The Register.
To be fair, the MAC comprises 12,000 consumers and business users, of whom only 2500 responded to IDC's latest request for information. Around 84 per cent of MAC members are based in the US, but a growing proportion of European and Asia-Pacific voices are being added to the Council, said Giusto. However, they are still people who use mobile computing devices - notebooks, PDAs and cellphones - regularly and frequently.
Once again; this problem will remain until the issues of high-cost, support and ease of use are resolved to a satisfactory level.
It's not that Wi-Fi is a bad idea, no; it's more that the technology is being implemented faster than it can mature to a useable state. More @ The Register.
Now, public hotspot usage is known to be limited to a relatively small number of individuals. But it has been assumed that there is demand for public wireless Internet access among mobile professionals - the 'road warrior' of legend. Indeed, most public Wi-Fi business models are based on that very assumption. High roll-out costs are being predicated on these early adopters' willingness to pay through the nose for high-speed Internet access in coffee bars, hotels, airports and the like.
The IDC data suggests that assumption may be flawed. IDC's MAC is made up of the very folk hotspot companies are hoping to attract. And yet almost three-quarters of the MAC - classic early adopters to a man or woman - do not use public Wi-Fi hotpots, Randy Giusto, VP of IDC's Personal Technologies and Services team told The Register.
To be fair, the MAC comprises 12,000 consumers and business users, of whom only 2500 responded to IDC's latest request for information. Around 84 per cent of MAC members are based in the US, but a growing proportion of European and Asia-Pacific voices are being added to the Council, said Giusto. However, they are still people who use mobile computing devices - notebooks, PDAs and cellphones - regularly and frequently.
Once again; this problem will remain until the issues of high-cost, support and ease of use are resolved to a satisfactory level.
It's not that Wi-Fi is a bad idea, no; it's more that the technology is being implemented faster than it can mature to a useable state. More @ The Register.
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