Wireless Broadband technologies have evolved to be a key access component of the deployment of br... more Wireless Broadband technologies have evolved to be a key access component of the deployment of broadband infrastructure in both developed and developing countries around the world. This paper provides a tutorial overview of the two dominant broadband wireless technology standards in the market today, HSPA and WiMAX. After providing a definition, the essay describes their respective genealogy, basic metrics for comparison and outlines the commercial market rivalry context to enable comparison.
Summary The Internet has started a revolution but to date it has not lived up to the heady predic... more Summary The Internet has started a revolution but to date it has not lived up to the heady predictions of the late 1990s of a transformation of the way business is transacted particularly for consumers. This growing realisation, coupled with the subsequent industry implosion provided the context for the research over 2 years reported in this paper. The question is not whether there is user demand for many innovative new Internet based services but how one can better define sustainable business models that realise profitable new service products to users. It is argued that insightful research into the user perspective provides the necessary insights into key perception inhibitors that need to be addressed for future sustainable business models. The first stage developed an understanding of the nature of these bottlenecks from a number of perspectives and the second stage built on these insights to identify how to 'move users up the value chain'. A range of methodologies was employed including expert interviews of providers, a large national survey of current internet users and multiple focus groups of both current internet users and potential future users of a wireless internet. The paper summarises the findings in order to explore potential new business models for the Internet.
During May-April 1998 the Australian Communications Authority(ACA) conducted spectrum auctions in... more During May-April 1998 the Australian Communications Authority(ACA) conducted spectrum auctions in Australia of both 20 MHz at 800MHz(ie the "AMPS" band) spectrum and 45MHz at 1800MHz(ie part of the 75MHz "GSM1800 band). It raised some A$350million for the Government and saw the allocation of some 65MHz of spectrum over 19 geographic regions in Australia. The auctions were done electronically using the multiple round ascending auction methodology as used in the United States for the PCS auctions held in 1995. In September 1998, the ACA auctioned the unsold lots using an English Outcry auction. The proposed paper will analyse the effectiveness in this auction methodology in allocating spectrum to both incumbents and potential new players into the Australian marketplace. The paper will consider in particular the impact of the auction rules on the process and effectiveness in achieving the desired outcomes for both players and the regulator.
This paper will examine the concept of an innovation spiral process in relationship to the mobile... more This paper will examine the concept of an innovation spiral process in relationship to the mobile communications sector of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry which is the product of convergence of the telecommunications and the information technology (IT) industries. The fundamental theoretical framework for the paper is that innovative applications prescribed by users of an adopted technology can be a significant driver of further product evolution which then can fuel further market innovation. New products that are spectacularly 'successful' are those that give rise to this spiral of product innovation and market innovation. The paper will first review the macro perspective of this theoretical framework by analysing the spectacular success of the short message service (SMS) in the GSM digital mobile communications over the last twenty years from the product concept. This conceptual framework is then considered at a micro level to review three consecutive research projects by the authors over the last ten years. The broad aim of these projects was to better understand potential user adoption of new mobile telecommunications products. The first research project in the mid 1990's examined the barriers and enablers to the adoption of mobile phones by selected disadvantaged groups in society, in particular, people with disabilities. A modified focus group methodology based on interactive workshops was developed from this research project to gain insights into user innovation. This methodology was developed further in more recent research projects looking at the likely user take up of evolving multimedia capable mobile devices for innovative applications. The second study indicated that the market evolution of mobile internet like applications is likely to be very different from those developed for the fixed internet because of the different characteristics of the user groups. While the individual research projects have been published, this paper brings together the macro and micro perspectives of this innovation spiral to demonstrate the value of this theoretical framework for market forecasting for realising technology commercialisation. The research also has implications for the 'form' of new high technology products and how they are marketed which places less emphasis on technical features but more on matching with user needs.
The 'baby boomers' are those who were born in the two decades since the end of the Second World W... more The 'baby boomers' are those who were born in the two decades since the end of the Second World War and in their diverse ways have grappled with the evolution of computers, the Internet and mobile phone. The market demand of those born from the 1990's onwards has driven these technologies in further unforeseen directions. This paper framed in the context of generational and technological change and is based on the observation that mobile phone technology will become the 'preferred platform' for enabling an aging population to live independently for much longer in their own home. The paper will draw upon recent research into the understanding of the diverse attitudes and backgrounds of older people that informs understanding of their likely propensity for adoption of these technologies. The paper will also scan technology development and critique the supply side products designed to meet the perceived needs of older people such as emergency pendants and mobile phones with big buttons. This analysis of both supply and demand side has informed the development of a communications service product called Assure Connect TM that can provide an added service feature to any phone system to provide families and groups a communications capability to better support each other. The research approach is akin to 'reading tea leaves'.
Wireless Broadband technologies have evolved to be a key access component of the deployment of br... more Wireless Broadband technologies have evolved to be a key access component of the deployment of broadband infrastructure in both developed and developing countries around the world. This paper provides a tutorial overview of the two dominant broadband wireless technology standards in the market today, HSPA and WiMAX. After providing a definition, the essay describes their respective genealogy, basic metrics for comparison and outlines the commercial market rivalry context to enable comparison.
Summary The Internet has started a revolution but to date it has not lived up to the heady predic... more Summary The Internet has started a revolution but to date it has not lived up to the heady predictions of the late 1990s of a transformation of the way business is transacted particularly for consumers. This growing realisation, coupled with the subsequent industry implosion provided the context for the research over 2 years reported in this paper. The question is not whether there is user demand for many innovative new Internet based services but how one can better define sustainable business models that realise profitable new service products to users. It is argued that insightful research into the user perspective provides the necessary insights into key perception inhibitors that need to be addressed for future sustainable business models. The first stage developed an understanding of the nature of these bottlenecks from a number of perspectives and the second stage built on these insights to identify how to 'move users up the value chain'. A range of methodologies was employed including expert interviews of providers, a large national survey of current internet users and multiple focus groups of both current internet users and potential future users of a wireless internet. The paper summarises the findings in order to explore potential new business models for the Internet.
During May-April 1998 the Australian Communications Authority(ACA) conducted spectrum auctions in... more During May-April 1998 the Australian Communications Authority(ACA) conducted spectrum auctions in Australia of both 20 MHz at 800MHz(ie the "AMPS" band) spectrum and 45MHz at 1800MHz(ie part of the 75MHz "GSM1800 band). It raised some A$350million for the Government and saw the allocation of some 65MHz of spectrum over 19 geographic regions in Australia. The auctions were done electronically using the multiple round ascending auction methodology as used in the United States for the PCS auctions held in 1995. In September 1998, the ACA auctioned the unsold lots using an English Outcry auction. The proposed paper will analyse the effectiveness in this auction methodology in allocating spectrum to both incumbents and potential new players into the Australian marketplace. The paper will consider in particular the impact of the auction rules on the process and effectiveness in achieving the desired outcomes for both players and the regulator.
This paper will examine the concept of an innovation spiral process in relationship to the mobile... more This paper will examine the concept of an innovation spiral process in relationship to the mobile communications sector of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry which is the product of convergence of the telecommunications and the information technology (IT) industries. The fundamental theoretical framework for the paper is that innovative applications prescribed by users of an adopted technology can be a significant driver of further product evolution which then can fuel further market innovation. New products that are spectacularly 'successful' are those that give rise to this spiral of product innovation and market innovation. The paper will first review the macro perspective of this theoretical framework by analysing the spectacular success of the short message service (SMS) in the GSM digital mobile communications over the last twenty years from the product concept. This conceptual framework is then considered at a micro level to review three consecutive research projects by the authors over the last ten years. The broad aim of these projects was to better understand potential user adoption of new mobile telecommunications products. The first research project in the mid 1990's examined the barriers and enablers to the adoption of mobile phones by selected disadvantaged groups in society, in particular, people with disabilities. A modified focus group methodology based on interactive workshops was developed from this research project to gain insights into user innovation. This methodology was developed further in more recent research projects looking at the likely user take up of evolving multimedia capable mobile devices for innovative applications. The second study indicated that the market evolution of mobile internet like applications is likely to be very different from those developed for the fixed internet because of the different characteristics of the user groups. While the individual research projects have been published, this paper brings together the macro and micro perspectives of this innovation spiral to demonstrate the value of this theoretical framework for market forecasting for realising technology commercialisation. The research also has implications for the 'form' of new high technology products and how they are marketed which places less emphasis on technical features but more on matching with user needs.
The 'baby boomers' are those who were born in the two decades since the end of the Second World W... more The 'baby boomers' are those who were born in the two decades since the end of the Second World War and in their diverse ways have grappled with the evolution of computers, the Internet and mobile phone. The market demand of those born from the 1990's onwards has driven these technologies in further unforeseen directions. This paper framed in the context of generational and technological change and is based on the observation that mobile phone technology will become the 'preferred platform' for enabling an aging population to live independently for much longer in their own home. The paper will draw upon recent research into the understanding of the diverse attitudes and backgrounds of older people that informs understanding of their likely propensity for adoption of these technologies. The paper will also scan technology development and critique the supply side products designed to meet the perceived needs of older people such as emergency pendants and mobile phones with big buttons. This analysis of both supply and demand side has informed the development of a communications service product called Assure Connect TM that can provide an added service feature to any phone system to provide families and groups a communications capability to better support each other. The research approach is akin to 'reading tea leaves'.
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Papers by Reg Coutts