3G

The third-generation mobile phone network is billed as a giant leap forward for mobile phone technology, with more services and features on offer than ever before. Handsets are now portable multimedia messaging and playback devices that can send and receive e-mail, grab content from the Internet without waiting and have personalised information and entertainment services delivered right to the hand, ear and eye of the user.

There are now a number of 3G networks operating around the world and 3G is soon to be released in India. Despite a slow uptake when the services were originally released, the growth of 3G networks is steady. Mobile companies see a big (read: lucrative) future in multimedia and Internet content for users hungry for faster, feature-rich mobile services ― so expect to see more and more services and competitive pricing bundles as we move forward.

Techs & Specs

The 3G mobile phone network uses a different frequency band than its predecessors to deliver increased data transfer rates. The 3G network uses the 2100MHz frequency, while the existing 2G network operates at the 900MHz frequency band (GSM) and 800MHz (CDMA). This high-speed data capacity enables more content to be sent to and from mobile handsets through calls, messaging and Internet-based content. For example, 3G phones can be used for video phone calls, video message bank, Internet and e-mail, real-time interactive gaming and media streaming, such as news, weather and dedicated TV shows.

The original analogue network was the first-generation cellular mobile phone network which was operational in the 1980s when handsets resembled 'bricks' rather than the tiny, feature-packed devices they've become today. The next major development was the digital cellular mobile phone network that started to offer data as well as voice services and was considered the second-generation mobile network. The 2G network has a data rate of between 9.6Kbps and 14.4Kbps and the 2.5G network boosted rates to between 56Kbps and 144Kbps. The 3G network can deliver data rates up to 2.4Mbps although High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a 3G technology that allows for higher data transfer speeds. Current HSDPA in Australia now supports 1.8Mbps or 3.6Mbps in downlink. Speeds of up to 14.4Mbps and beyond are planned for the future. But the real future is 4G that will deliver data transfer rates of between 20 and 40Mbps, comparable with ADSL and cable Internet transfer speeds. However, the 4G network is only in development and is still some time away from trials and commercial release of services.

In many countries, the 3G network uses the UMTS standard, which is built on the GSM network. The other 3G standard is CDMA2000, which has a number of variations, but only some of the operators has a version for mobile broadband packages. (See Networks & Data Rate box below for speeds and the Glossary for technical terms related to 3G networks.) Theoretically, any UMTS 3G-compatible phone will work on the UMTS network with any operator, although limitations or restrictions may be imposed by the operators as the service develops. But the phone companies are offering a selection of handsets with plans, which limits choice but avoids compatibility issues.

Features

The 3G network brings the world of the Internet to a mobile phone with the addition of enhanced messaging and multimedia functions. Each mobile company offers specially chosen TV, music, multimedia and Internet content, such as news, sport and weather.

Video Talk - With 3G, standard phone features are enhanced with video calls, video message bank, video ring tunes and multimedia messaging. Users can make video calls to other users with a compatible handset and network. It's also possible to leave video messages and add images to contacts so their image appears when they're calling. It is also possible to send video messages to compatible phones as an MMS or e-mail. For example, Hutchison in Australia offers videotalk, a video phone call from the handset to a PC with a Web camera using Microsoft NetMeeting over broadband Internet connection.

Internet & E-mail - 3G handsets can send and receive e-mail as well as browse the Internet. Yahoo Go and Gmail can be installed in most of the 3G handsets. As I mentioned in my earlier post ‘Nokia phones and built-in Skype’, the new Nokia phones would be released with Skype pre-installed in them.

Multimedia - The enhanced data transfer rates of 3G means that multimedia and gaming has come alive. Handsets can be used to play back music files, movie trailers, live TV and a vast array of multimedia files available through the Internet. Handsets play a variety of music files (MP3, AAC, AAC+) and video formats, including MP4, as well as playing polyphonic ringtones and loading and viewing digital photos online. Games can be downloaded straight to the handset and come with 3D graphics and enhanced sound and some can even be played in multiplayer format in real-time.

Personalised Content - There is also specialised content available on each network, depending on what licence and sharing agreements the mobile carriers have made with content providers, such as publishing, TV or internet providers. For example, Hutchison in the past offered Big Brother content, while Telstra has offered video clips from Australian Idol and the ABC. Vodafone offers financial market information and satellite radar images with the weather. The other content services that are on offer with 3G include interactive communities, group chatting, dating, movie trailers, horoscopes, weather and adult content.

Plans & Pricing

In India, we will have to wait and see.