Many folks trying to predict the uptake of 3G in regions such as Europe and North America are looking at the Japanese and Asian experiences in order to obtain important insights into how things will develop in their own turf.  However, wireless telecommunication is all about the subscribers' personal choices, with cultural differences definitely playing a key factor.  Therefore, extrapolating the Asia/Pacific 3G experience thus far to another continent is definitely a risky proposition.

Nevertheless, even considering this caveat, there is definitely potential for some takeaway lessons from the Asian development up to now.  One observation that is applicable elsewhere is that 3G rarely changes the popularity of apps - chances are that the same apps that were popular in the 2G world will be the most widely used in 3G as well, with the main difference just being faster download speeds. 

There is much debate on the issue of the uptake of video telephony.  In Europe, for instance, it is regarded as an important component of 3G offers, with operators such as 3 or Vodafone having it as part of their portfolios.  In Japan, despite the fact that it was one of the cornerstones of the DoCoMo 3G portfolio, the uptake has been pretty disappointing thus far.  Culture might play a role here - chances are Europeans are less intimidated by video calls than people in Asia (a similar phenomenon to VM), at least when the call is informal.

Currently, there has been no Asian "killer app" on the data side - albeit data usage is increasing.  News, entertainment, ring tones, sound clips, games and screensavers all compete for the title of most popular non-voice app, but there is no current clear winner as of yet.  This can certainly be the case in other geographies, until some more refined applications emerge. 

So these are a few "uber" conclusions that can be drawn from the Asian experience - 3G still represents a technology in flux, with much growth to come in the years ahead.