Have you ever been talking over a cup of coffee when your companion suggests an excellent book you know you're going to want to read? Today, if you own a mobile phone that is also Web-enabled, you can whip out your handset, call up Amazon.com, and order the book. It's all made possible by the wireless Web--a whole new medium that analysts are gushing about. But will users adopt the new medium with all its limitations? If Japan is any indication, the answer is a resounding "yes."

To put it simply, the wireless Web requires no connections. Look no further than Japan for some burgeoning examples of how this revolution is taking place. There are comparatively fewer household PCs in Japan than in the United States, and fewer willing to pony up for the more expensive Japanese Internet access. But a much larger percentage of Japanese people own mobile phones. And today, an increasing number of these phones are tapping into the wireless Web.

DoCoMo, a Japanese telecommunications company, is promoting the use of its I-mode service. I-mode enables subscribers to access a variety of Internet services with little more than the touch of a mobile phone key. Some wireless Web services include games, mobile banking, airline ticket-booking, e-mail, restaurant menus, directions, and similar kinds of Internet information. In fact, the new service is so popular that over the last year it has added 3 million subscribers, all of whom have access to more than 4,000 wireless-enabled Web sites--and both subscribers and wireless-enabled Web sites are growing.

But the new wireless Web technology is not without its problems. Network speeds, data transmission standards, weaknesses in today's existing wireless devices, and content-provider issues are all making the future of the wireless Web uncertain.

Today's wireless data transmission rates range from 9.6 to 14.4Kbps--too slow for Internet users, particularly when trying to access lengthy e-mail messages, get attachments or download graphics. In order to address this problem, there is a huge international effort to improve bandwidth and speed from a variety of vendors. Some of these technologies include General Packet Radio Service (GPRS, or broadband GSM technology), Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), and 1XRTT (the broadband term for the initial phase of third-generation wireless for the CDMA standard). These new technologies will increase data transmission speeds in excess of 384 Kbps. They each have advantages and disadvantages. Web site content could be set up to communicate with any or all of these technologies.

Part of what's making the wireless Web revolution possible is the Web Application Protocol (WAP), the standards created for enabling wireless devices so they can access the Web. Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com used the same standards to enable their Web sites for wireless. According to some analysts, 95 percent of today's wireless device producers are following the WAP standards.

While existing efforts to increase data transmission speeds and create data transmission standards might explain why analysts are positive about the wireless Web, they don't explain how content providers will make money setting up wireless Web-enabled sites.

Today, most providers are still contemplating the ad revenues and service fees for browsing or transacting e-commerce business.

Of course, ad revenue implies the ability to convey very small banner ads, or side ads that compete with existing tiny screen sizes. This will work only if content providers create an entirely new, smaller, and shorter wireless Web content model. And wireless headset vendors must create devices with more screen viewing size and better input interfaces.

So with all these potential hurdles, why do some analysts predict that by 2004, the number of users with wireless Web access will exceed the number with wireline access? Three reasons: e-mail, browsing, and other pull (customized) content.

E-mailing, unencumbered by time, location or physical location, is compelling unto itself. We are a generation increasingly addicted to e-mail communication. Analysts predict that if you enable PDAs, cellular phones, and pagers with easier ways to enter text messages, more and more people will adopt this part of their communication routines. And, while they're checking and responding to e-mail, they'll also check sports scores, weather and news headlines.

Browsing Web content is extremely powerful for the usual Web reasons. Stock quotes, ticket prices, movie times, travel directions, and a host of other reasons make the browser factor a significant motivating factor for continuing to iron out the technical bugs.

Even more powerful is the notion of pull content, or Web sites set up to generate tailored, current content to your PDA, cellular phone, or pager every time you log on to the wireless Web.

Strides are being made in the effort to create a new network to support faster data speeds and broader bandwidths. Content providers are experimenting with novel ways to present data to wireless Web users. Within the next two to four years, the industry will see dramatic improvements in wireless Web devices.

But until then, most users will have to be content with the novel nature of the beast, and with keeping their wireless Web communications brief and to the point.

Contributing Editor Cary Griffith is the president of the Electronic Book Co., a Minneapolis new media firm.

Sidebar: Some Selected Wireless Web Sites

Although it's relatively new technology, there are already a number of ways to locate wireless Web resources. The most obvious is the Web itself. You don't need to be wireless to find out about it.

For excellent coverage of the wireless industry in general, and the wireless Web in particular, try Wireless Week. The site not only gives you plenty of industry news, but also publishes a directory of industry Web sites, which is an excellent resource for locating just about anything about the wireless Web. If you're a developer interested in pursuing an application or service, try the site's developer directory.

Associations and professional groups can be an excellent source for wireless Web information. A couple of the more prevalent include the World of Wireless Communications, and the Telecommunications Industry Association.

The World of Wireless Communications (WOW) provides users with plenty of relevant information. Some of its categories include trade shows, marketplace, career center, news and commentary, statistics and surveys, and several other features.

The Telecommunications Industry Association www.tiaonline.org offers an interactive buyer's guide, discussion forums, plenty of news and commentary, and a burgeoning directory of other resources.

Of course, wireless communications in general, and the wireless Web in particular, must be regulated. If you're interested in the U.S. government's rules and regulations regarding the wireless Web industry, the most obvious source is the Federal Communications Commission. More specifically, check out their FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and its Universal Licensing System.

The Internet changes at the speed of light. It's difficult to keep abreast of new technologies, and wireless is no exception. Fortunately, there are plenty of educational opportunities on the Web. The Institute for Wireless Education has an excellent Web site, complete with a wireless phone graphic that enables selections by clicking on keys. Some of the categories of information covered on this site include general information, basic wireless telephony, wireless simplified, and courses near you.

Traditional universities aren't to be overlooked. At the University of Wisconsin, the Department of Engineering Professional Development offers several two- or threeÐday wireless-Web courses on a revolving basis.

Want a job in the wireless Web industry? Curious about GTE's wireless products and services? Visit GTE.com. Here you'll find plenty of wireless information from one of the industries leading wireless producers.

Sprint/PCS is one of the leading U.S. wireless providers. Not surprisingly, they're investing heavily in both the notion and development of wireless Web access, much of which you'll read about when you visit its Web site.