3G mobile phones
Summary Description Newswire's 5 Minute Guides
applies the crystal ball to 3G mobile phone technology.
Author
Publication
Roullas Top10 Simon Vandore
Newswire
No
Editorial InformationArticle Location
Article Topic 5 Minute Guides
Story Order
Story Group 001022
Post Date 16/10/2000 07:07 AM Status Posted Entered by Simon
Vandore on 15/10/2000 10:21 PM
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Content
Introduction
Body
What's this 3G stuff? Is it really the future of mobile
phones?
3G (short for 'third generation') has become a catchphrase for
next generation mobile phone technologies capable of high-speed
data transfer, from 128Kbps to 2Mbps or more, and should become
widely available sometime between now and 2005. Research firm
Ovum predicts 63% of the world's mobile phone users will be using
3G by 2010.
What's 2.5G?
Interim technology used to boost data transfer rates on current
mobile phone systems is often called 2.5G. EDGE (Enhanced Data
Rates for GSM Evolution) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
are examples used to upgrade existing GSM networks.
The first generation of phones used analog radio technologies and
were not used for data. The current crop of GSM (Global System
for Mobiles) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) digital
phone networks in Australia are 2G, or second generation.
Which technologies fit into the 3G category?
3G usually refers to WCDMA (Wideband CDMA) and UMTS (Universal
Mobile Telephone System, an evolution of WCDMA). These were
designed as upgrade paths for existing GSM networks like those
run by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone in Australia, but are not
compatible with previous mobile phone technologies.
3G is also used to refer to cdma2000, which can be implemented as
an upgrade to current CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
networks and is backwards compatible with CDMA. Attempts have
been made under the auspices of the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) to harmonise WCDMA and cdma2000,
but they are backed by competing industry sectors and remain
apart. Both have their genesis in today's CDMA standard which
efficiently carries calls on the whole spectrum at once,
distinguishing each with an identification code.
Is Bluetooth part of 3G?
Not really. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology for
data transfer which should soon be appearing in electronic
devices such as mobile phones, computers, printers and digital
cameras. However, it will definitely complement 3G phones. A
Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone may be able to conduct a
transaction with the cash register in a supermarket as you exit
the store with a bag of groceries, or automatically synchronise
information with friendly Bluetooth-enabled devices in the area.
What are the major selling points of 3G?
The main advantage of 3G is constant connectivity wherever you
go, with enough bandwidth to do just about anything. Video,
audio, live information, Internet resources and multiplayer games
might all be integrated into a single unit which can perform
tasks like videoconferencing and Web browsing simultaneously.
Instead of having to make a connection from a fixed terminal
whenever you want to do something on the Internet, a device can
be carried around which is online all the time.
Are all these 3G promises for real?
One thing's for sure: 3G is proving difficult to implement.
Initial estimates of implementation dates range from 2001 to
2003, but now it's looking more like 2005 in the USA and even
further away in Australia. Demonstrations to date have been only
short-range, while early predictions of 2Mbps data rates now look
like they may hit only 128Kbps or 384Kbps -- still beyond the
wildest dreams of today's mobile phone users, but not exactly a
challenge to high-speed landlines.
The other problem with 3G is that it doesn't work well over long
distances, so it's yet another high-speed Internet solution that
will suit cities better than rural areas -- even in cities, more
mobile phone towers and transmitters will be needed. And people
value their peace, so the idea of carrying such a device might
seem a little Big Brother-ish.
In parts of the fast paced Internet and communications world, 3G
feels like a century away. In the meantime, governments around
the world have had a field day auctioning spectrum to accommodate
it.
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Bulletin Summary5 Minute Guides: 3G mobile phones
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