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3G More Jingju Than Jay-Z
Lately, I have been connecting the dots between elderly people and 3G. On the bus, one older woman described 3G applications, such as going on the internet and watching TV, to her girlfriend.
"I’m not familiar with the internet, but I would like to watch Beijing opera (jingju) on a mobile phone,” the friend replied.
A week later, I noticed more than a few middle-aged and older males holding up their “shanzhaiji” (generic, name-brand-imitation phones) to watch the news on the subway. The more I went out the more I noticed these men cranking up the volume to watch the news on the subway, on their way to work and even walking the dog. I couldn’t help but think of the way my grandpa used to hold the radio up to his ear to find out what was happening outside.
The thing is, I think these mobile-TV men are interested in more than just mindlessly passing the time. In their loud and continual watching, it seems as though they are trying to express their worldliness, trying to show they are conversant in current affairs.
These opera enthusiasts and fact buffs are strong in number, and, if prices aren’t too high, they could buy their own mobile terminal or, better yet, have their children give them one as a gift. After all, a lot of these mobile users have been making calls on their children’s obsolete cell phones for years; that is, of course, if they even had a phone to begin with.
SARFT’s mobile TV standard, CMMB, is having a hard time expanding its user base, and TD-SCDMA, the homegrown 3G network currently operated by China Mobile (NYSE:CHL, 941.HK), has only grabbed 1 million users after a year of promotions.
If Chinese telecom operators start shifting their ad campaigns from businessmen and hipsters to happy families and filial love, they might just be able to tap into a group of accidental 3G users during next year's Spring Festival.
Li Jing analyzes telecom, e-commerce and search industries in China.
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