Institute For The Future

Japan as an advanced model for the mobile web?

From this morning's TechCrunch comes this headline: "Japan’s super-advanced mobile web: Too unique to serve as a global blueprint?"

 

Over one billion cell phones have been sold worldwide in the last year, but in the US or Europe, the mobile Internet is still catching on relatively slowly. There even was a heated debate in the blogosphere just recently whether the mobile web has a future at all.

However, this has never been a question in one specific region of the world: In Japan, since 2006 more people have been accessing the web through cell phones than through PCs. Is this a picture of things to come in other countries? 

 

Interesting question--read the Japan-based TechCrunch writer's answer here. The article's key headings are "Catalysts for growth: superior phones, a lot of content, and demanding customers"; "Semi-walled gardens in a flawless technical environment"; and "Powerful trio: Forward-looking politicians, carriers and content providers."