The failure of the BBC’s Dr Who mobisodes, with an average of just 3000 people downloading each episode, only further highlights the problem with mobile data in this country. As the Mediaguardian piece points out, despite the fact that episodes were offered free, they cost users between £1.50 and £2.00 each to download. The versions served online saw 2.6m plays, mainly because it was free (or as good as) for most users.
The cost of data is further analysed in a good comment piece in last week’s New Media Age which also highlights the differential pricing we get in the UK compared to other parts of the world. It’s surely in the mobile industry’s interest that we all start using these data services, yet if the cost to a user is so great, then where’s the incentive. I certainly couldn’t even conceive of downloading music via a mobile. Nevermind the cost of the tracks themselves, the data charges would be crippling.
Nope, data usage for me remains limited to football results on a Saturday afternoon if I’m out, and a few railway timetable lookups.
As for Dr Who? Well my three month old smartphone was completely incompatible, so it’s all pointless for me.