Despite the economic problems that struck Asia since Telecom ’95, Scott Erickson, vice president of Lucent’s Wireless Access Group, Asia-Pacific, sees the region as leading the wireless industry on several fronts. “Telecom growth has survived in Asia,” Erickson said. “Korea was hit the hardest, but wireless growth [there] has still been phenomenal.”
He noted the huge Asian market for short messaging service (SMS) capabilities, which some Korean carriers are offering for free. “At 20-percent penetration and more competition among carriers, carriers are providing more capabilities for marketing advantage,” said Erickson.
With continued growth in value-added services, Asia also will lead the way in the third-generation arena, said Erickson. “Asia is moving to 3G because of the more efficient use of spectrum,” he said. “Once you’ve built that capability, you want to maximize the use of the network.”
Erickson said Internet technology is driving usage patterns in Asia, as well as throughout the world. Because of the Internet, network infrastructure and capabilities will change in the new millennium.
And network providers will have to change also.
“Infrastructure manufacturers must provide an evolution to all services and applications,” including switches, base stations, voice and data messaging, billing systems, marketing services, business planning and even content.
“To compete in the market and be a full-range solution provider, [manufacturers] need to do that more and more,” he added.-Sandra Wendelken in Denver, United States
