Beyond these two countries, another set composed of Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan shall experience fast wireless Internet development in the coming 24 months. As to 3G, much will depend on the regulators policy. The main driver for 3G will come from competitive pressure. Given the very high capital investment required, operators will tend to delay investment a long as demand is uncertain. What made the success of the Internet is its global ubiquity.
Services are available everywhere at a cost irrespective of the location.
Wireless Internet will still permit that, but it will cater to a wide range of services and needs that have a much stronger local flavour. And indeed, one expects those to dominate. It will open new opportunities, and most important for Asian firms, opportunities with strong local content. There is nothing to stop local firms, entrepreneurs and network operators from coming up with their own models for service - models which cater best to the needs and desires of the local customers they serve. Joining up with a 'content developer' coming in from another market may just be a recipe for disaster.