But hurdles remain before the wireless Web takes off. Proprietary technology can provide value above and beyond what standards such as the Wireless Application Protocol can deliver, experts say. After an initial buzz, many users have found WAP, which brings Web-browsing capabilities to cell phones, lacking. They complain that it's difficult to navigate the Web via a handset keypad and view Web sites on tiny cell-phone screens.
Experts say people have to be realistic in their expectations of the wireless Web.
It may not be realistic to expect to view the World Wide Web in all its graphical glory on a mobile device. VeriSign Inc. Security on wireless connections also represents a big hurdle to true wireless E-commerce applications, Kirk says. Still, as applications mature and become more personalized, the wireless Web will progress beyond the conceptual stage, says a spokesman for Ericsson Inc., a leading provider of cellular-phone handsets. Because Europe and the United States have different wireless protocols, people are unable to use one cell phone in both places. Global System for Mobile Communications is the standard in Europe, but it's supported by few cell phones in the United States, where Code Division Multiple Access, PCS, and Time Division Multiple Access technologies are more common.