These developers pumped up the technology as the second coming of the Internet, to both investors and the media. Since hype brought in the cash needed to develop the protocol, the industry refused to downplay the technology, knowing full well that it was still in its infancy. But this hype wasn't just reaching investors, it was hitting newspapers as well, sending consumer expectations sky-high. Pick up Time or Newsweek and there'll be one or two pages about the Palestinians, the rest is technology. But to consumers, the technology means nothing unless they can do something with it.
Software can make hardware attractive to consumers, but it takes time to develop.
In WAP's case, the technology was hyped long before the software was ready. The phones weren't ready, the networks weren't fully up and running and there weren't enough applications. The momentum of the industry just took over. That momentum was driven by impatient investors and also by the pace of technological progress. Since the protocol had been so hyped for so long and was finally complete, telecoms companies raced to bring WAP to the market.