3G resting, not dead

Mobile operators need to learn lessons from the IT industry if they are to get businesses more interested in 3G services, says mobile customer management specialist Amdocs.

With attention already starting to focus on the promise of 3.5G and 4G technologies, such as HSDPA and Mobile WiMax, operators need to find better ways to service and support customers to improve 3G's tarnished image, says Seth Nesbitt, product director at billing software house Amdocs.

"There's been some pretty negative coverage of 3G in the press," he told IT Pro. "No-one's kidding anyone that takeup of 3G has been slower than expected. But I think the idea that it's all over for 3G is wrong."

He cited the early days of the web, when much smart money was on it remaining an inferior kind of encyclopaedia for technology enthusiasts and Star Trek fans.

"There have been hitches and issues for business adopters, and 3G now needs a better focus on customer service to give it a fresh push," he said.

He believes the slow start for 3G should have been more easily foreseen.

"The move to 3G content and data services has been a huge shift for operators, and I think everyone underestimated what a challenge this would be for them," he believes.

"Operators have by default become helpdesks for IT support as well as sellers of voice services. The PC industry has developed effective remote support services that could alleviate many 3G problems if used as an example of best practice."

Nesbitt says operators have also had to learn to work with third party content creators for the first time - becoming effective resellers of other people's services.

"Businesses want to see a lot more focus on problems like security before they buy further into it," he says. "If they crack this then there are so many ways they can make business data mobile beyond just email."

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