Sunday, December 21, 2003
Bhutan goes Mobile
Four years after the introduction of TV and the Internet, the Himalayan kingdom has now decided to introduce its first mobile phone service (with an ancient buddhist ritual, no less). Looks like the king has finally decided to adopt the course of modernity and integrate Bhutan with the rest of the world, t least technologically. Having the world's two fastest growing telecom markets for neighbours probably helped spur the decision.
At retail outlets, potential customers eye up phones which would happily stand up to scrutiny in far more developed markets. They are far from cheap and call prices are out of reach of most Bhutanese. But being mobile is the latest status symbol for the aspiring classes, and so business is booming for vendors of the new equipment.
Invariably there have been a few teething problems. There was such an initial rush to top up pre-paid accounts with credit that it crashed the automated computer system. There is a learning process that has to take place as well, because Bhutanese are expecting too much from their phones - the phones can deliver but the networks cannot. For the 2,000 subscribers, there is a real danger of creating an expectations gap, which even officials acknowledge has to be closed quickly.
At retail outlets, potential customers eye up phones which would happily stand up to scrutiny in far more developed markets. They are far from cheap and call prices are out of reach of most Bhutanese. But being mobile is the latest status symbol for the aspiring classes, and so business is booming for vendors of the new equipment.
Invariably there have been a few teething problems. There was such an initial rush to top up pre-paid accounts with credit that it crashed the automated computer system. There is a learning process that has to take place as well, because Bhutanese are expecting too much from their phones - the phones can deliver but the networks cannot. For the 2,000 subscribers, there is a real danger of creating an expectations gap, which even officials acknowledge has to be closed quickly.
