Mobile Web: ahead of its time?

Does the world really need a wireless Web?
It’s a question that has come up repeatedly in the years following the introduction of WAP, the standard used to display Internet content on mobile phones. At the turn of the century, a number of companies invested heavily in the intersection of cellphones and the Internet. At the time, networks were slow, most phones had black-and-white screens, and there were few, if any, mobile-specific Internet pages. Most of those problems have now been resolved, but to this day it’s rare to find enthusiastic mobile Web surfers.
Many expected the novelty of Internet information on cellphones to foster interest and draw users, but the wired Internet’s evolution into a multimedia smorgasbord of Flash animations, Ajax applications and Web 2.0 widgets serves only to highlight the limitations of mobile browsing.
I’m not saying wireless data is a failure; data ARPUs from carriers are nearing 20%. However, research shows much of this revenue comes from messaging, gaming and other services, and not straight Web browsing. My point is that the promise of WAP has not really been fulfilled.
The reasons are obvious. Even the industry’s most advanced phones balk at graphically rich Web pages with Flash, not to mention the networks such pages fly over. Indeed, full-bodied Web pages can slow desktop computers from just a few years ago.
Thus, those in the wireless industry now seem to be keen on bringing a few, well-chosen Internet services to mobile, rather than the whole shebang. Instead of visiting Pandora’s Web page for streaming music, you’re better off downloading its Ja va app. Rather than visiting Google’s site to get a weather report, just ping its short code. If you’re really desperate for YouTube videos, there is the site’s mobile version.
And as the industry’s handset makers continue to one-up each other with new innovations, it’s a good bet that today’s Web pages will be available in their entirety on tomorrow’s phones.
But will there come a day when cellphone users chuckle at the idea of a “mobile” Web page? Only time will tell.