COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Lack of content will spell the demise of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) offerings across Europe, according to a new report from Strand Consult, an independent consultancy based in Denmark. The lack of content is due to a lack of revenue sharing models and roaming agreements, which would make it attractive for content providers to develop and market services, the firm said.
“These models and agreements are the real key to making GPRS a commercial success,” said Strand Consult.
Rather than establishing such partnerships and agreements, Europe’s mobile operators are blaming a lack of handsets on the slow uptake for GPRS services. However, Nokia and several other vendors are now offering GPRS phones in Europe, so carriers must focus on providing services that users want, the company said.
Strand said operators are focusing on premium short message service (SMS) instead of GPRS. Although premium SMS services offer revenue potential, GPRS’s potential is much greater.
