i-mode loses its appeal?

DoCoMo's i-mode global coverage map is shrinking with more overseas carriers killing the service. Just recently Australia’s Telstra and the U.K. operator O2 said they would drop the offering. Russia’s vast territory surely makes i-mode global coverage map look great. In reality, only 7.2 million consumers use i-mode outside of Japan. While DoCoMo’s i-mode stronghold in Japan – more than 47 million i-mode subscribers on its own network – still gives the carrier leverage, it seems that i-mode business model is becoming irrelevant and outdated in the times of Web 2.0 trends expanding into the mobile world. With users becoming internet-savvy and mobile phones being shipped with full web browsers, DoCoMo’s i-mode collection of portals will lose their appeal to users. DoCoMo is sure feels the pressure and plans counter measures like DoCoMo 2.0 marketing campaign, an attempt to blend in with Web 2.0 crowd. Like an elephant in a china store? Well, it seems that they are catching up, not leading this time.