On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:45:29 -0600, Todd Allcock
<elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in <evj1p2$kui$1@aioe.org>:

>At 11 Apr 2007 14:08:04 +0000 John Navas wrote:
>
>> I think they see tech support as the killer -- low price packages are
>> only viable with _zero_ support, and cellular data isn't (yet at least)
>> foolproof enough to make that work.
>
>Good point- I was actually going to address that issue but left it out
>for brevity!
>
>It seems to me that you could avoid (or at least recoup) support costs
>"upfront" with a good overpriced install CD/data cable kit (like Cingular
>always did with their DataConnect kits- when you get $30-40 for a $2-
>wholesale cable and a connection setup wizard on a self-pressed CD you
>can afford a few support phone calls!)

The problems I see are complexity and cost. My experience is that:
* It has to be dead simple (like Wi-Fi hotspot login by account or
credit card)
+ Even swapping a SIM card is an issue
+ The multitude of cables and drivers would make SKUs a nightmare.
What's needed is a universal mini-USB cable standard and universal
USB modem driver.
* $20 is pretty much the limit for one-shot impulse buys.

>You could even make the kit "required" (i.e. support would only provide
>instructions for connecting with the enclosed software, not with setting
>up a manual DUN connection on your Linux box with an eBay-purchased data
>cable), or at least make the kit more attractive- perhaps include a few
>"free one-day pass" coupons so the kit essentially also becomes a
>"prepaid starter kit."

Require a (say) $40 "starter kit" and I think the potential market
shrinks dramatically.

>Plus, I assume (perhaps wrongly) than someone using such a service would
>be likely to use it again as needed (and already be configured,
>mitigating support) plus might get "addicted" enough to use it as a
>gateway to a monthly access plan.

There's also the issue of billing data by clock time instead of by
amount of data (or connect time), which isn't currently available in
carrier infrastructure.

>Despite the lucrative business arket, I can't help but feel the wireless
>carriers are leaving revenue on the table by missing some untapped
>markets between the $5-15 data-on-phone and $60-80 data card customer.

What I think might have some hope of success would be a USB cellular
data modem (that might emulate a USB Bluetooth dongle to piggyback on
native OS driver support) if cost could be kept down to say $20-30 (with
a modest amount of bundled data).

>Following the "hot-spot" model might make sense. T-Mobile offers their
>(fairly pathetic) Wi-Fi Hot-Spot service to both their customers (at a
>discount) as well as to the public at large for anything from an hour to
>daily, or monthly. Who has a bigger potential "hot-spot" network than
>Cingular, Sprint or Verizon?

Racks in local retailers? Again, the problem I see is support: "Hey!
I bought this from you, and it doesn't work!"

>Just food for thought, as they say...

If you really think it's that good an opportunity, form an MVNO and go
for it yourself!

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>