looks like J2ME applets (the ones that run on cell phones) can't use RMI. TCP/IP support isn't guaranteed for J2ME devices; that's why RMI isn't supported.
Should I (we) change the networking requirement for the Location Aware API from TCP to HTTP? HTTP is supported by J2ME applets. It's weird to think about, but TCP/IP isn't a necessary requirement for HTTP; HTTP can be delivered over WAP or some other proprietary network. Check out this link, which shows how to extend j2me applications to support a notion of RMI:
using sockets and RMI from MIPD-enabled devices
JMB