As so often happens, the most interesting conversations happen not in conference sessions, or even in conference hallways, but after hours, in meals or catching up with business associates one has not seen in more than a decade.
So after some time spent reconnecting, the talk turns to the big trends each of us were seeing. Some of the conversation was on business model changes in the mobility space, value creation versus cost cutting and new ways to look at value. Without suggesting we had any fully worked out thoughts on revenue models in the mobility space, much of what we talked about was where value creation could change in terms of “outdoor and mobile” access compared to “relatively stationary and indoor” access.
To some extent, you already see that, with Wi-Fi for indoor and mobile networks for outdoors. But shared spectrum (Citizens Band Radio Service) maybe is the first commercial indication of possibly-bigger changes to come.
On the model of Boingo, perhaps, one can envision the emergence of new specialist roles for indoor mobile infrastructure and service providers. While not implying that this alters in a fundamental way the market dynamics of the mobility business, there are strategy and capex implications, wholesale opportunities, as well as more chances of realistic mobile substitution for internet access with scale.
So the question is how big a business "indoor mobile" might become.
No comments:
Post a Comment