.mobi Interesting Move by Softbank

[gou]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060928/japan_mobile_phones.html

The easy link to Yahoo!, using one button on the planned handsets from Tokyo-based Softbank will allow people to look at mobile versions of Internet content available through the Yahoo! portal, including e-mail, stock prices, news and Net auctions, Son said.

Up to now, much of the Net content available for Japanese cell phones require payment, but Yahoo! content will be free of charge as for personal computers.

Of course, this is limited to people in Japan, but more people will be familiar with surfing the net using their mobile phones. Yahoo Japan will basically act as a free sample of the mobile web experience and more people may start exploring the net beyond Yahoo Japan because of it.

Here's a related story: http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/15830351.htm

 

[Traveler]

Interesting move, but like you said it is limited to Japan and they are already lightyears ahead of us in using their mobile phones to surf the web

I really wish the prices would drop in the US. I just can't afford to surf the web on my phone, but I would like to.

 

[newton]

If the cost of unlimited surfing outside of the carriers networks on mobile devices drops dramatically then its game on for all tlds.

 

[accent]

I see it a little differently - not as an opening but a closing. If you can get all that stuff on Yahoo then there is less incentive to leave the secure space of Yahoo-ville. Kind of what AOL tried to do.

One click and free for Yahoo, many clicks and pay for the little guy = less for the rest of us.