W3C proposes new working group for the mobile internet

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My interest in the convergence of the mobile device (smart phone style) and the fixed device (PC style) was reawakened by the announcement of the W3C that they are looking to establish a new group called ‘The Mobile Web for Social Development’ or MW4D. Before I got to read what this was about in detail it seemed to me to be just what we could do with to sort out details and speed up the ability to use the World Wide Web on mobile devices. Personally I like to use my phone to access things I need from the internet but am frequently frustrated by various trivial aspects.

Anyway at this stage the W3C is inviting interested parties to join with the focus of trying to figure out how to address the digital divide issue. Quoting various examples of the use of mobile technologies to enable services in rural communities where there was no fixed broadband or other services the hope is to find suitable standards to speed the deployment of such services. The whole message seems to be about defining a new Web environment to suit what exists now in terms of poor quality infrastructure, not to look at how to bring the level up to allow the rural dwellers to enjoy the capabilities that others already have.

It’s hard to deny that this has got honourable intentions at a social level, though I question levelling down as I say and believe we should be striving to level up. Given the amount of action going on to build solutions in the commercial mainstream markets it’s hard not to wonder what will be the impact of this move. Will it split the development path, and will that be a good or a bad thing? In the path that this seems to be outlining then for the less developed areas price and battery consumption are going to be an issue way beyond speed of the download and sophistication of features. Look to the developed markets where speeds and features are everything, look at Apple and iPhone, as one example of setting some new expectations for consumers.

The devices and infrastructure are just one side of this; there are a lot of other players taking part in the Mobile 2.0 market, too. Cisco has just announced their latest moves to support Mobility as a full part of an enterprise’s unified collaboration structure. A new appliance engine that recognises fixed, or wireless, access in a single coherent network infrastructure. Google are just moving into presence as a distinctive additional capability for Mobile and Yahoo have spent the last few years specialising in Mobility with a whole range of services. All of this before we consider Nokia with its Widgets, or Apple with itunes, etc.

If there are any two forces that we can recognise as today’s drivers then its globalisation of resources and markets coupled with standardisation of technology. That’s the force driving PCs to become smaller for mobile use, and phones to increase in their capabilities to use software services meant for PCs. All of this could be fairly said to have been at least influenced by the ‘one’ web standard, so I am not at all sure that I like the thought of there being a ‘fast’ or ‘high end’ web and a ‘slow’ or ‘low end’ web with all that might mean. I would have thought the growing of the existing market will result in lower prices for devices and bigger markets not just for selling services, but for buying services to allow the rural poor more opportunities.

I believe that open standards have done more for our industry, and for the population at large, over the last few years than we achieved in the years before, am I right in thinking that this is the engine for helping over come rural poverty?

PS – just to even the score I really like another move by the W3C concerning setting up another group to work with governments on standardisation practices, and this seems to bring together all the right principles of uniting and creating a common environment with all the benefits that this can bring.

Posted by Andy Mulholland on June 23, 2008 | Digg this | Seed Newsvine

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Comments

# on September 5, 2008 9:53 AM, Stephane Boyera said:

Hello,
Sorry for this late comment, but i just discovered your post.
Reading it, i feel the need to give you some insight view of MW4D work.
I was more then surprised to read "The whole message seems to be about defining a new Web environment to suit what exists now in terms of poor quality infrastructure, not to look at how to bring the level up to allow the rural dwellers to enjoy the capabilities that others already have.".
I would be happy to learn how you made your opinion ?
Since day one at W3C we have been working towards what we call One Web, with an inclusive view, and a goal to make the web accessible for everyone, at anytime, on everything. MW4D is a new group to focus on the bottom of the pyramid, but with still the same goal. I explained it in a the white paper who drove the definition of the group's charter (http://www.w3.org/2006/12/digital_divide/ajc ), and you might also be interested in an interview i gave to the economist at http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11999307
So yes clearly MW4D is looking at providing full web access to the bottom of the pyramid.
But then, we have also to be realistic in two directions:
1- connecting people to the web will not improve their lives. The focus is clearly on how to create an enabling environment for service providers (taken in a broad sense, including NGO, government,...), and to lower the barrier of access to the targeted end-user
2- while i strongly believe in the power of the mobile web, we have to pave the road from where we are (something like 20% of the phones in developing countries have a browser) to the next stage, where the power of the web will be fully exploited. This means that it is essential also to identify what's possible today (ie mostly only voice and sms apps) and what will be tomorrow. So yes, we will also investigate how to deliver web content not only through mobile browsing but through also other channels.

All in one, i believe that you might have a different view if you join MW4D work, and i encourage you to do so.

Best Regards
Stephane Boyera
MW4D co-chair

# on September 5, 2008 7:18 PM, andy mulholland said:

Hi Stephane
Really appreciate your post as i will confess to having formed the opinion from the 'outside' using published information and there fore good to hear more from the 'inside' of the details.
Where i am puzzled is that from what i read it seems to hinge 'logically' on reducing the complexity of a rurual infrastructure to get it started. As the roadmap is as you say 'one web' for all, though this seems logical on one side it seems to imply setting up two approaches on the other?
can you explain - in outline - more about this?
many thanks andy

# on September 8, 2008 10:54 AM, Stephane Boyera said:

Hi Andy,

Ok i understand your point. My personnal view is rooted in the discussion which took place in two workshops W3C organized on this topic in December 2006 ([1]) and June 2008 ([2]). Roughly, i believe that the important step is to create a case for mobile web or related technologies (e.g. widgets). For now, we are, imho, in a quite strange situation. There is a huge buzz since about 12-18 months on the potential of mobile phones in social and economic development. This is good. However, except a handful set of really successful stories, we are still far from a real impact at the Worldwide level.
So what can we do ? First came the mobile phones, and just being able to communicate by voice improved the lifes and situation of millions of people. Then now we are, imho, in the era of SMS: the next level of technology, the first level of ICT. This is good, this is a way to provide helpful services, but still limited.
Some people believe that this is all what we need. I don't subscribe to this point of view, but as a first step we have to create a case for that: understanding what's possible with current technologies and what's not. This is not about reducing the complexity, this is about starting from where we are, to drive and speed the evolution to the next generation of technologies (mobile web, widgets,...).
Then, and this is quite specific to this group at W3C, it is also important to realize that the issue is not only about accessing the Web, but also fostering the development of relevant content. bridging the digital divide is not a goal by itself but a means to bridge the more traditionnal gaps between developed and developing countries: access to healthcare, education, finance,... I believe that it is critical to understand how to create the conditions to see the deployment of numerous development-oriented services developed by NGOs, government, entrepreneurs, corporations, operators, ...
In this context, the One Web concept means investigating how to extend the frontier of the Web so that the Web benefits the poorest, and hosts resources which are relevant, accessible and useful for the Bottom of the pyramid. So this is the second part of the approach, but still with the inclusive vision.
I hope this clarifies a bit more the 2 goals MW4D is targeting.
Best
Stephane
[1] W3C workshop on the Mobile Web in Developing Countries: http://www.w3.org/2006/07/MWI-EC/cfp.html
[2] W3C Workshop on the Role of Mobile Technologies in Fostering Social Development: http://www.w3.org/2008/02/MS4D_WS/

# on September 8, 2008 7:57 PM, andy mulholland said:

Thanks Stepane - a good explanation that makes both the challenges and the approach clearer. Seems a difficult bridge to cross and i read into this that you need to get both the cooperation of governments and the private sector as success will ultimately lie in whetehr or not the content is there to make it usefull.

any views on mashups, hackdays or whatever to harness local people to develop what they want as usefull to them?

# on September 8, 2008 10:17 PM, Stephane Boyera said:

I don't believe personnaly that the success relies on governments and the private sector. I've been at W3C since 1995, prehistoric time of the Web, and i witnessed this history. The success of the Web today is based on contributions made by people for their communities or friends. If the Web would have rely on gov. and corporation, it would not be what it is today.
So the key point imho is to empower people, and the non-profit/grass root sector.
How to do that is the challenge. We have first to understand the barriers and issues: what are missing expertise,... and then identify which actions can make an impact. This is the mission of MW4D. I cannot yet provide response, but i hope that by the end of the group life, may 2009, we would have a better picture on the potential instrument that could be useful.
Stephane

# on September 9, 2008 11:24 AM, andy mulholland said:

i agree about the people driven issue, the government point was really just the climate that they can create for this, ie encouraging investment in the telecomms sector for infrastructure and 'controlling' the web for policitcal ends etc.

Seems to me that this brings us back to 'mashups' and 'hackdays' to give the local community the opportunty to tell local technical savvy people what they want that makes it 'their web'.

andy