OXFORD, United Kingdom—European cell-phone operators have been criticized by the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) for promoting the technical attributes of their networks rather than services.
The GSA, a trade association formed by the major cell-phone equipment vendors, said operators have presented a confusing value proposition to users and have failed to interest potential consumers in mobile Internet services. One analyst claimed that operators also need to segment their marketing of services to be more effective in attracting users.
Research conducted by the GSA indicated a lack of differentiation among operator offerings in terms of the types of content and services they provide. Operators in the United States and Western Europe tend to focus on news, particularly financial and sporting, and on search facilities. Entertainment, such as jokes, games and horoscopes, came second.
Operators are not expected to receive these findings of the GSA, which has a low profile within the GSM industry, with any great interest. For a manufacturing trade body to tell operators how they should run their businesses will likely only serve to inflame relationships that, in the light of massive 3G investments, need careful handling.
