3G killer app - good and efficient public transport
Telcos in ASEAN region are looking to emulate the success of mobile wireless in Korea and Japan but so far has failed to do so.
themediaslut, however, has dawned upon a "freakonomics" hypothesis that the demand for mobile wireless is somehow related to the quality and efficiency of the country’s public transport.
Based on themediaslut’s assumptions and discussion with friends, it seems the use of such mobile wireless are on the trains from home to work and vice versa.
High property prices force white collar Koreans and Japanese to live outside the city area where it usually take about 1-2 hours of traveling time from home to office or vice versa.
Hence, the train rides give them the opportunity and the need to make use of such mobile wireless technologies.
Public transport in the capital cities of Malaysia and Thailand might not be as efficient as that of Japan and Korea and these provide the working white collar workers incentives to own private transport.
Similarly, most of them live outside of the capital city which requires the same 1-2 hour ride like their Korean and Japan counterparts.
Hence, how can they use these mobile wireless when their hands are on the steering wheel?
Rather than looking for that killer mobile wireless app, these telcos should consider working with public transport companies to improve the efficiency of the country’s public transport.
But themediaslut feels it would be hard for telcos to accept this hypothesis though because public transport is in nowhere part of their portfolio.
Singapore is an exception to this hypothesis though. Singapore is small and with its efficient public transport, it takes less than an hour, on average, to reach from home to office, or vice versa.
themediaslut thought of a solution before , but then again, it requires the telcos here to change their mindsets.
Changing mindsets deserve another entry.
