Another strong theme of this year's conference is Wi-Fi, which some operators are seeing as a stop-gap alternative to broadband 3G networks. Wi-Fi is a wireless LAN technology that is used in laptops, but also increasingly in mobile devices such as smartphones and handheld computers. In the UK, British Telecom and its competitors have begun setting up public hot spots in areas such as cafes and airports, and there are estimated to be about 1,500 hot spots across Europe. France Telecom is unveiling details of its new Wi-Fi initiative this week, involving its ISP subsidiary Wanadoo, its mobile network operator Orange and other units, which will include public hot spots as well as networks for home users. Intel is discussing Wi-Fi this week, ahead of the launch of its Wi-Fi-enabled Centrino laptop chip solution next month. Boeing, in association with Intel, is planning to offer wireless networks on its airplanes, with Lufthansa planning to offer wireless Internet services on some flights. Gadgets galore
From a hardware point of view, the handsets unveiled at the show are all equipped with colour screens, a component that has moved into the mainstream. They are continuing to integrate the functions of other mobile devices: having added the ability to act as MP3 and FM radio players, GPS receivers, PDAs and game consoles, they are now adding cameras and even video recorder and players. Bluetooth is also increasingly making its way into handset hardware. On the software side, the stage is set for a pitched battle between the allies of Symbian -- including most major mobile phone manufacturers -- and Microsoft, to decide which operating system will power the most advanced handsets. Samsung bought a 5 percent stake in Symbian earlier this week, strengthening its ties to the software company, while Microsoft announced that T-Mobile would begin carrying its Windows-powered smartphones. Orange is to launch a second Windows smartphone alongside its SPV. Other manufacturers are taking their own directions, such as Symbian investor Motorola, which is to begin using Linux for its new handsets, and Symbian ally Sony Ericsson, which announced a 3G handset using its own proprietary software. All the hype around GPRS and Wi-Fi seems to have come somewhat at the expense of 3G, which was one of the big stars of last year's conference. Nokia and Sony Ericsson both spotlighted their upcoming 3G handsets, but the hardware will not launch until later this year. In the UK, Hutchison is planning to launch 3G services this quarter, but the launch date has been delayed before. The company may be the only one to launch 3G in the UK this year. European operators paid about 100bn euros, or about £60bn, to buy licences to 3G, which will deliver broadband services such as live video to mobile phones. Services are already running in Japan.
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