3G has made mobile operators? life hell. The vast sums spent on licences, the huge amounts needed to upgrade networks, the current tight financial markets and slowing subscriber growth are putting the squeeze on many of them.

Operators are desperate for something to alleviate their woes. They crave something that will drive up mobile data usage, increase ARPUs and push subscribers to their new (and expensive) 2.5 and 3G networks. Many in the industry believe that wireless entertainment services could be the Next Big Thing, and there is some evidence from a handful of markets, such as Japan, that some services might be successful.

Mobile entertainment services have come a long way since the introduction of games like ?snake? on cellular handsets. Consumers now have access to a host of services including online games, betting and messaging, and the advent of 3G networks is poised to bring further developments. But will games and other entertainment services really prove to be the ?killer apps? for mobile? After the disappointment of WAP, operators are loath to hype up future services, and users are reluctant to pick up their phones and try something new. Play Away: The Future of Mobile Entertainment, produced by the experienced wireless analysts BWCS, is a comprehensive review of the players, technologies and drivers in this nascent industry.

BWCS? report provides an in-depth examination of the wireless entertainment market, offering profiles of the companies involved, a detailed look at wireless technologies and rollout schedules, and comprehensive forecasts of subscriber growth, usage and revenues. Anyone seeking answers in this fast paced sector will find Play Away: The Future of Mobile Entertainment an invaluable guide.

The report answers all the important questions, including:

Who are the main players in development and publishing?
What services do consumers want?
Who has had success and why?
When will next-generation networks be available?
What are the barriers to the take-up of entertainment services?
What actions should YOU be taking now and in the future?
What are the benefits for operators?
What are likely to be the ?killer applications??

What does Play Away: The Future of Mobile Entertainment contain?

Forecasts of subscriber growth, usage and revenues for the mobile entertainment industry
Profiles of the major players, including applications developers, industry bodies, equipment manufacturers and content publishers
An overview of the hardware and technologies involved
Timetables for the introduction of 2.5G and 3G networks worldwide
A look at the development of wireless entertainment services in five of the most important markets
The demand for entertainment services and the barriers to growth
Prospects for the future and BWCS? recommendations


Who is Play Away: The Future of Mobile Entertainment aimed at?

Service providers
Content and applications developers
Hardware manufacturers
Portal operators
Regulators
Industry associations



About the authors

Arthur Drewitt heads the consulting practice at BWCS and is an experienced mobile analyst. He has extensive experience in the mobile, fixed line and Internet industries in North America, Europe and Asia. He began his career with leading advertising agency JWT before joining Nortel Networks in Hong Kong as part of the Global Professional Services team, working with new operators in the Asia-Pacific region. He has worked with numerous new start-ups in the cellular and fixed line field in Japan, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Hong Kong and Korea, before joining BWCS. Arthur has previously authored BWCS? report ?Revenue Opportunities for the Wireless Internet?.

Peter Bell is one of BWCS? team of consultants and is the editor of the company?s web-based news services. He has an engineering background and began his career in telecoms publishing with CIT Publications, before joining BWCS in January 2001. His work has been featured in magazines such as Telecommunications International and Asian Communications. Peter has previously co-authored BWCS? reports ?Wireless in the Enterprise? and ?Wireless LANs and the Threat to Mobile Revenues?.