Everywhere I go, people ask me if I think 3G will do well in Malaysia. My short answer is always, "Yes, if telcos get it right." Unfortunately they are not doing it right so far. After all, how many people you know are on 3G?

To get 3G going, here’s what telcos ought to get right. In three short words: price, handsets and content.

Current premium pricing is not justifiable. That only works if the product has little competition or is superior. In this case, 3G has to fight with Wi-Fi and broadband. Wi-Fi hotspots are so prevalent these days while broadband is very accessible too.

No choice. They have to drop the price. Get it down to around RM50 per month and I am sure there will be people queuing up to sign up – me included.

This is really critical because a huge base is vital to get people to use services like video calling and justify bringing in premium content.

Handset pricing has to be lowered and even subsidised. Lots of people are eyeing to change their phones right about now and if they can be enticed with good prices, they will board the 3G platform. Manufacturers too need to get their handset strategy right. I am amazed no one has come up with a real 3G PDA phone yet. If a 3G version of a Nokia Communicator, SE P900 series phone or iPaq handset was available, I would buy one in a flash. No one has come up with one to date. The logic eludes me.

Finally, the best way to get people to become 3G fans is to overwhelm them with content that is free plus a bit of premium content priced separately. The content would have to be right for the medium. Attempts to turn the 3G handset into a TV will have limited success. Really, how much enjoyment can one get from watching TV on 3G handsets?

I, and I think others, want plain old news. Simply push latest news alerts to me and give me a way to see more when I want to - all in real time. Online multi player games tailored for small screens look like pretty sure bets to me. Treasure hunts, instant messaging - the possibilities are endless.

NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT and EDUCATION. These three words have kept TV going for more than five decades. Mobile operators need to learn the same game and add in the interactiveness of the INTERNET.

Also, telcos have to be serious about content and not just dish out showcases. Seriously, how could I be interested in a traffic info service with say six cameras in the entire Klang Valley? Put in a hundred traffic cameras and we’d be talking business.

Will it happen? Only if the telcos move decisively. Unfortunately, there seems to be a fair bit of lethargy. Almost as if they themselves don’t believe in 3G.

It’s not as if it hasn’t been done before. The world’s most successful mobile services portal has to be Japan’s iMode which is now in more than 20 countries and with over 50 million users.

It has thousands of different content on one easy platform and very fair pricing. iMode’s success can be duplicated. There’s really no need to re-invent the wheel. Just study the iMode model and create something similar.

A big opportunity comes up next year. The FIFA World Cup will be a great time to showcase the abilities of 3G technology. I look forward to up-to-date news and results coupled with nice multimedia stuff like goal highlights and interviews. Then you could say that 3G has arrived and is here to stay.

Personally I am betting that telcos will get it right by then but I am biased on this. I badly want to see England carry the Cup on my 3G smartphone over and over again.