Wireless Wish List

Holiday wishes for the industry from Wireless Review:

We wish for ...

... the opportunity to attend a wireless show where the vendors (especially those Internet guys) listen to the carriers and not where the carriers have to listen to the vendors.

... a handset that would never need battery recharging so we could talk for years without having to worry about where the charger is.

... a free pass at the 700MHz spectrum without unnecessary delay caused by squatters.

... large carriers that have a small-company state of mind. They'd craft customer-service departments where subscribers can talk to real people and get immediate and accurate answers about products and services.

... some specific ways and plans to go from 3W to 3G, in other words to migrate to 3G in rural areas where 3W handsets are still the rule.

... carriers, the FCC, location vendors and public safety answering points to stop their squabbling and work together to implement a total E-911 solution that will save lives.

... an IP-security standard that carriers and ISPs would accept, and hackers would abhor.

... reasonable price tags for 3G spectrum, based on value, not the highest bidder.

... a way to get "instant" rebate money within 24 hours by being able to have the money wired to an account and then being notified about the deposit via your wireless phone, pager or PDA.

... an m-commerce comparison shopping service that is user-friendly and includes fixed stores in addition to online retailers.

... a WAP-enabled wireless phone with a color screen that offers streaming media so we can see and hear the latest news, movie previews and video clips - all from a handset.

... wireless-broadband services to lead the way in crossing the digital divide.

... U.S. carriers to ditch all references to the wireless Internet and wireless Web, and instead focus on a phrase such as wireless information. That way, consumers won't compare their first experiences on wireless phones to those on their desktops at home.

... a way all the megalithic towers could be torn down and replaced by pint-size units that can be placed more frequently to improve reception.

... the magic formula for blending all of the air-interface standards into one that works around the world.

... the finger dexterity needed to navigate a phone keypad as efficiently as a message-crazy teenager.

[C] Chicago took home the highest grade in a survey of cities' wireless costs and availability. The windy city earned a B+ for its 125 different plans and for the nation's lowest regional rates that start at 15 per minute. Miami, Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles round out the top five.

[C] Golf icon Tiger Woods wants to ban wireless phones at golf tournaments. His decry came after several wireless phones rang during play in the recent Johnnie Walker Classic in Bangkok.

[C] Winners of the 1st annual WAP Awards are Aspiro's Fleet Manager for best use of WAP in a business application, Distractions Mobile Entertainment Portal for best use of WAP in a consumer application, Sonera's Pointer Guide for the carrier's award and Webraska Mobile Technologies for the CEO's award for innovation in WAP.

In the Nov. 1 News Review story, "Usurping Wired Services," the Yankee Group spokesperson was misidentified as Mark Lowens