US telcos are spending up to $30B to upgrade their networks for high-speed data communications, even though they're still uncertain who will pay to use it. ... "3G" [has been an] economic nightmare for the European telcos that spent $200B on spectrum licenses and now have no money left to actually build their networks. ... US carriers already facing financial difficulties: unable to raise capital; struggling to handle network maintenance. ...

A Verizon executive: "I'll be honest: I don't know what the market demand will be for the products and services offered with 3G." ... "Some people are never going to use data." ...

... growing skepticism ... over whether it makes good business sense to spend money on services that enable people to e-mail photos from cell phones, or to design business presentations on a laptop in a moving vehicle. ...