BT freezes Fusion: next generation replacement rumoured

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 07 February 2008 03:23

Opinion and Analysis

Its claim to fame is that if offers the fastest mobile browsing experience and to achieve this it uses a server-based browser and a proprietary interface that effectively delivers a page image to the handheld device, which runs proprietary software.

Nevertheless, the launch of any dedicated Internet access device by BT will serve to legitimise and raise awareness of a nascent market in which DataWind's PocketSurfer2 is one of only a handful of pioneering gadgets: mobile broadband connected specific-function portable devices. Amazon's Kindle eBook is another.

According to ABI Research, these devices are only the vanguard of a 90 million strong invasion of ultramobile devices that will march into consumers hands over the next five years. The possibilities are almost endless and, co-incidental with BT's hints this week they were the subject of the latest posting on his blog site by John Roese, CTO of Nortel.  neatly sums up all the enabling technologies and trends leading to these devices and concludes:

"By themselves, each of these elements is not revolutionary. However, as they start to combine in new ways, they suddenly create a new telecom tool kit that creates entirely new experiences. Consider the possibilities if you start with a device that has the capability to present rich content. Then, you enable it with mobile high-capacity connectivity (such as WiMax or LTE). And finally, you allow it to access content libraries or entertainment experiences on the Internet. You do it all at a cost that is only a few dollars more than the cost of the access to the content subscription. What could you do with such a device?...With this set of building blocks, not only can we create entirely new experiences, but we can deliver all of the experiences of today's telecom world in spaces and environments never before possible.

"To me that is exciting. Seeing all the building blocks becoming available and even starting to be assembled (à la the Amazon Kindle) is a good indication that we might just have an opportunity to do something entirely new in telecom for the first time in quite a while."

If BT does unveil some kind of handheld Internet access device in coming month it will join - along with Amazon and its Kindle - the select ranks of major organisations at the leading edge of this trend: it will be one to watch very closely.