Technova

The news that mobile handset market leader Nokia will release a new tablet handheld device with Google Talk heralds the beginning of a new era in mobile communications and sounds a warning to traditional mobile carriers. Mobile internet telephony is about to burst upon the scene and both Google and Nokia want to be at the forefront of an emerging market for both applications and hardware.

Unlike mainstream mobile telephony, which relies on cellular base stations, the new Nokia will connect to the internet via localised Wi-Fi networks, which are becoming more prevalent by the day in large cities, with wireless hot spots at places like cafes and airports. With the emerging WiMAX techology promising ubiquitous mobile wireless broadband connectivity without the need for direct line-of-sight base stations, devices like the new Nokia tablet running web-based voice and instant messaging applications like Google Talk, threaten to encroach on the space occupied by the current mobile telephony market.