ABSTRACT
The significant problems we face can not be solved at the same level of thinking we were at, when we created them.
—Albert Einstein
It began with the 2.5G networks such as GPRS, EDGE, and cdmaOne in the late 1990s as a service for streaming of short clips. The operators had upgraded the networks from pure voice to being data capable. Users could set up data calls using circuit-switched connections or always-on packet-switched GPRS connections. cdmaOne and GPRS users had always-on connectivity using packet-switched connections. Wireless Application Protocols (WAP) was formalized and was intended to be the protocol of choice for accessing wireless applications over the air. However, in the initial period at least, the data usage of the networks was limited. Internet access, though possible, had limited attraction owing to the tiny screens and limitations of keypads and indeed of the cell phones themselves. Operators keen to derive maximum benefit from the networks paralleled the Internet, where the video streaming services had already become widespread as had video calling, using protocols such as H.261 on the fixed-line telecommunications networks.
