Saturday, February 27, 2010

Definition,Features & Explination of 3G

Define 3G

A radio communications technology that will create a "bit pipe" for providing mobile access to internet-based services. It will enhance and extend mobility in many areas of our lives.

In the near future, mobility won't be an add-on: it will become a fundamental aspect of many services. We'll expect high-speed access to the internet, entertainment, information and electronic commerce (e-commerce) services wherever we are - not just at our desktop computers, home PCs or television sets.

3G services will add an invaluable mobile dimension to services that are already becoming an integral part of modern business life: Internet and Intranet access, video-conferencing, and interactive application sharing.

2G Wireless

The technology of most current digital mobile phones

Features includes:
- Phone calls
- Voice mail
- Receive simple email messages

Speed: 10kb/sec

Time to download a 3min MP3 song:
31-41 min


2.5G Wireless

The best technology now widely available

Features includes:
- Phone calls/fax
- Voice mail
-Send/receive large email messages
- Web browsings
- Navigation/maps
- New updates

Speed: 64-144kb/sec

Time to download a 3min MP3 song:
6-9min


3G Wireless

Combines a mobile phone, laptop PC and TV

Features includes:
- Phone calls/fax
- Global roaming
- Send/receive large email messages
- High-speed Web
Navigation/maps
Videoconferencing
- TV streaming
- Electronic agenda meeting reminder.

Speed: 144kb/sec-2mb/sec

Time to download a 3min MP3 song:
11sec-1.5min


We are not just talking about "road warriors" who spend their entire lives travelling. It's more a question of supporting new, flexible working practices where employees need access to a wide range of information and services via their corporate intranets, whether they are at their own desk or anywhere else.

Employees who spend some of their working at home. Accountants that carry out audits at client premises. On-site maintenance engineers who need access to detailed instruction manuals, mobile emergency services who need a video link with a hospital or doctor for specialised advice. These are a few situations where 3G will play a valuable role.


3G System Capabilities

Capability to support circuit and packet data at high bit rates:

- 144 kilobits/second or higher in high mobility (vehicular) traffic
- 384 kilobits/second for pedestrian traffic
- 2 Megabits/second or higher for indoor traffic

Interoperability and roaming

Common billing/user profiles:

- Sharing of usage/rate information between service providers
- Standardized call detail recording
- Standardized user profiles

Capability to determine geographic position of mobiles and report it to both the network and the mobile terminal

Support of multimedia services/capabilities:

- Fixed and variable rate bit traffic Bandwidth on demand
- Asymmetric data rates in the forward and reverse links
- Multimedia mail store and forward
- Broadband access up to 2 Megabits/second

Key features of 3G systems are a high degree of commonality of design worldwide, compatibility of services, use of small pocket terminals with worldwide roaming capability, Internet and other multimedia applications, and a wide range of services and terminals. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 initiative ("IMT-2000") third generation mobile ("3G") system services are scheduled to be initiated around the year 2000, subject to market considerations. The above Table describes some of the key service attributes and capabilities expected of 3G systems:


We're likely to see 3G services enter our day -to-day lives in all sorts of new ways: for example, in shopping, especially Internet "mail order" (e-commerce), banking, or playing interactive computer games over the Net.

We'll think nothing of sitting on a train and using a mobile palmtop with Internet browser to log into our bank accounts. While on-line we'll be able to check our accounts, pay a few bills and click on a screen icon to immediately set up a video-conference to discuss our account with a bank clerk.

On vacation, we'll be able to use our mobile palmtops to obtain local tour guides, make a last-minute reservation at a hotel, find and call the nearest taxi firm, and send video postcards. We'll expect location-independent mobile access to a personalised set of services that matches the way we live and work.

Increasingly, machine-to-machine communications will also be enabled and enhanced with future mobile network technology. Domestic appliances will have built-in radio modems to provide remote control and diagnostics. Our refrigerators will have built-in sensors that detect which items need restocking and automatically send a reminder message to our Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). We could even get the refrigerator to send an order direct to our local store. Likewise, vending machines will be able to tell the warehouse when they need restocking.

Cell-phone Network Technologies: 3G

3G technology is the latest in mobile communications. 3G stands for "third generation" -- this makes analog cellular technology generation one and digital/PCS generation two. 3G technology is intended for the true multimedia cell phone -- typically called smartphones -- and features increased bandwidth and transfer rates to accommodate Web-based applications and phone-based audio and video files.


Sony Ericsson V800 3G phone


3G comprises several cellular access technologies. The three most common ones as of 2005 are:

3G networks have potential transfer speeds of up to 3 Mbps (about 15 seconds to download a 3-minute MP3 song). For comparison, the fastest 2G phones can achieve up to 144Kbps (about 8 minutes to download a 3-minute song). 3G's high data rates are ideal for downloading information from the Internet and sending and receiving large, multimedia files. 3G phones are like mini-laptops and can accommodate broadband applications like video conferencing, receiving streaming video from the Web, sending and receiving faxes and instantly downloading e-mail messages with attachments.

Of course, none of this would be possible without those soaring towers that carry cell-phone signals from phone to phone.

3G is a cell phone network protocol. Click here to learn about network protocols for Smartphones.

Introduction to 3G Technology

3G refers to technologies associated with wireless communications and is most often associated with cell phones. Popular use of the term 3G, such as "a 3G phone," refers to the types of cell phone equipped to access to a wireless data network using 3G standards. Cell phones and other Internet-enabled devices that use 3G wireless technology are perceived as achieving higher speeds when browsing the Web, downloading files or performing other wireless Internet-related tasks. Technically, 3G stands for 3rd generation and refers to the third generation of related standards established by the ITU, or International Telecommunication Union. The family includes technologies recognized by consumers such as GSM EDGE and WiMAX. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GGP) has taken an active role in establishing and promoting 3G standards in order to increase the benefit of 3G technologies to consumer

Standards
  1. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project was established to develop and promote a set of Technical Specifications and Technical Reports for 3G technologies. The 3GPP originally focused on standards for a mobile communications system based on GSM networks and related radio access technologies. The 3GPP serves as an independent intermediary between the groups of vendors who must work together to create useful 3GP-enabled technologies for consumers, such as network providers, wireless service providers, and cell phone and mobile device manufacturers.
  2. Features

  3. 3G technology features that are meaningful to consumers fall into two broad classifications. The first is data rates, which refers to the rate at which 3G devices can transfer data through 3G networks. Cell phones and related devices can regularly access the Internet and are capable of playing music and displaying videos. Because video and audio file sizes can be large, higher data transfer rates for files being downloaded from the Internet provide a better user experience. The second set of 3G features relates to security. Because consumers may send and receive confidential information from their cell phones, security for wireless communications is essential. 3G security features are intended to address that need.
  4. Relation to 2G

  5. The previous generation of standards for wireless services, 2G, supported lower data transfer rates that were suited mainly for voice services. This reflected the state of and the needs of earlier generations of cell phones and mobile devices that were not Internet-connected. The 2G standard evolved incrementally with the release of 2.5G and 2.75G standards before the ITU implemented the widely accepted set of 3G standards.
  6. Relation to 4G

  7. As consumer expectations relating to the performance of cell phones and similar devices in connecting to the Internet increase, device technology increases as well. As devices become capable of higher-performance functions such as playing larger, higher-definition videos with higher-quality audio, the need for data transfer rates that support larger, higher-quality multimedia files increases. There is no 4G standard from the ITU in place. The 3GPP consortium is seeking to expedite the creation of 4G standards.
  8. History

  9. 3G network technology became available for commercial use first in Japan in 2001 and was followed by availability in South Korea and European countries. However, 3G networks for consumer use in the U.S. did not become available until 2003.
  10. There are a lot of mobile phone brands in the market that are attracting the users at ease. These brands are launching a number of models. Many of these models on one side have wonderful features, while on the other hand, they come enriched with astonishing looks. Sony Ericsson and Samsung are the two brands that are popular among a large number of people throughout the world. These two brands have launched a number of gadgets that have become the first choice of many users.

    One model of each can be taken as example. A few days back, Sony Ericsson launched the Sony Ericsson C905 in the handset market. This is a very nice handset that supports 3G technology. It has most of the features required by the users of the present days. It has an astonishing camera option that allows you to capture the images of digital cam quality. It has 8 mega pixels of camera that supports the image resolution of 3264 x 2448 pixels. It has some additional features also such as auto focus and xenon flash. Xenon flash is the flash light feature that enables the users to capture crystal clear images even in faint light also. This handset contains the advance Internet options such as RSS reader. You can read the RSS feeds on the World Wide Web. Surfing can be done with its WAP and HTML browsers too. Moreover, it has a lot of sophisticated features such as TV-out features in order, to view the images and video clips on the television screen, picture editor for editing the pictures and many others.

    Samsung is also not behind anyone in terms of features. Samsung F480 Tocco model can be taken as one of the instances. It is also a 3G supported handset. It has 5 mega pixels camera with 2592 Ñ... 1944 pixels image resolution. This handset also allows the users to take pictures even in dim light with its LED flash features. It also has WAP and HTML browsers for smart surfing. Document viewer allows you to access the MS-office as well as PDF documents. Much more features are also available in this handset.

    Apart from all this, the Sony Ericsson C905 and Samsung F480 Tocco handsets have a lot of similar features. Beautiful quotes and other text messages, multimedia graphics etc., can be sent to friends and relatives. Moreover, the Bluetooth feature would allow you to transfer the videos, audios and other files. This is the wireless system that would allow you to send all your contents to other compatible devices within a specific range totally free of cost.

    Moreover, both these models consist of astonishing looks. Sony Ericsson C905 model has 136 grams of weight along with the dimensions of 104 x 49 x 18-19.5 mm. Whereas, the F480 is comprised of 100.6 grams of weight and the dimensions of 98.4 x 55 x 11.6 mm. Entertainment is another aspect for which people like to by a handset. The Sony Ericsson C905 has the audio player that support the popular music file formats such as MP3, MP4, AAC etc. The audio player of Samsung F480 Tocco also supports MP3, AAC and MPEG4 file formats. Conclusively, it can be said that, both these handsets may be the right options for the users. Users can also choose any of these as per their requirements.

    Andrew Peterson is a professional writer, presently working for online shopping community store. He is writing on various products and services to distinguish price comparison on cheap mobiles, broadband comparison, cheap gas and electricity providers, Contract Phones, Latest Mobile Phones and many others.
  11. Can also be used as an upgrade to PDC or D-AMPS.
  12. development halted in favor of LTE.[5]
  13. also known as FOMA[6]; UMTS is the common name for a standard that encompasses multiple air interfaces.
  14. also known as UTRA-FDD; W-CDMA is sometimes used as a synonym for UMTS, ignoring the other air interface options.[6]
  15. also known as UTRA-TDD 3.84 Mcps high chip rate (HCR)
  16. also known as UTRA-TDD 1.28 Mcps low chip rate (LCR)

While EDGE is part of the 3G standard, most GSM/UMTS phones report EDGE (“2.75G”) and UMTS (“3G”) network availability as separate functionality.

History

The Nokia 6650, an early UMTS handset

The first pre-commercial 3G network was launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan branded FOMA, in May 2001 on a pre-release of W-CDMA technology.[7] The first commercial launch of 3G was also by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on 1 October 2001, although it was initially somewhat limited in scope;[8][9] broader availability was delayed by apparent concerns over reliability.[10] The second network to go commercially live was by SK Telecom in South Korea on the 1xEV-DOKT on EV-DO and thus the Koreans were the first to see competition among 3G operators. technology in January 2002. By May 2002 the second South Korean 3G network was by

The first European pre-commercial network was at the Isle of Man by Manx Telecom, the operator then owned by British Telecom, and the first commercial network in Europe was opened for business by Telenor in December 2001 with no commercial handsets and thus no paying customers. These were both on the W-CDMA technology.

The first commercial United States 3G network was by Monet Mobile Networks, on CDMA2000 1x EV-DO technology, but this network provider later shut down operations. The second 3G network operator in the USA was Verizon Wireless in October 2003 also on CDMA2000 1x EV-DO. AT&T Mobility is also a true 3G network, having completed its upgrade of the 3G network to HSUPA.

The first pre-commercial demonstration network in the southern hemisphere was built in Adelaide, South Australia by m.Net Corporation in February 2002 using UMTS on 2100 MHz. This was a demonstration network for the 2002 IT World Congress. The first commercial 3G network was launched by Hutchison Telecommunications branded as Three in March 2003.

In December 2007, 190 3G networks were operating in 40 countries and 154 HSDPA networks were operating in 71 countries, according to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA). In Asia, Europe, Canada and the USA, telecommunication companies use W-CDMA technology with the support of around 100 terminal designs to operate 3G mobile networks.

In Europe, mass market commercial 3G services were introduced starting in March 2003 by 3Hutchison Whampoa) in the UK and Italy. The European Union Council suggested that the 3G operators should cover 80% of the European national populations by the end of 2005.

Roll-out of 3G networks was delayed in some countries by the enormous costs of additional spectrum licensing fees. (See Telecoms crash.) In many countries, 3G networks do not use the same radio frequencies as 2G, so mobile operators must build entirely new networks and license entirely new frequencies; an exception is the United States where carriers operate 3G service in the same frequencies as other services. The license fees in some European countries were particularly high, bolstered by government auctions of a limited number of licenses and sealed bid auctions, and initial excitement over 3G's potential. Other delays were due to the expenses of upgrading equipment for the new systems.

By June 2007 the 200 millionth 3G subscriber had been connected. Out of 3 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide this is only 6.7%. In the countries where 3G was launched first - Japan and South Korea - 3G penetration is over 70%.[11] In Europe the leading country is Italy with a third of its subscribers migrated to 3G. Other leading countries by 3G migration include UK, Austria, Australia and Singapore at the 20% migration level. A confusing statistic is counting CDMA2000 1x RTT customers as if they were 3G customers. If using this definition, then the total 3G subscriber base would be 475 million at June 2007 and 15.8% of all subscribers worldwide.

In Canada, Rogers Wireless was the first to implement 3G technology, with HSDPA services in eastern Canada in early 2007. Their subsidiary Fido Solutions offers 3G as well. Because they were the only incumbent carrier (out of 3) with UMTS/HSDPA capability, for 2 years Rogers was the sole provider of the popular Apple iPhone. Realizing they would miss out on roaming revenue from the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bell and Telus formed a joint venture and rolled out a shared HSDPA network using Nokia Siemens technology. Bell launched their 3G wireless lineup on 4 November 2009, and Telus followed suit a day later on 5 November 2009. With these launches, the popular iPhone is now available on all 3 incumbent national carriers.

Mobitel Iraq is the first mobile 3G operator in Iraq. It was launched commercially on February 2007.

China announced in May 2008, that the telecoms sector was re-organized and three 3G networks would be allocated so that the largest mobile operator, China Mobile, would retain its GSM customer base. China Unicom would retain its GSM customer base but relinquish its CDMA2000 customer base, and launch 3G on the globally leading WCDMA (UMTS) standard. The CDMA2000 customers of China Unicom would go to China Telecom, which would then launch 3G on the CDMA2000 1x EV-DO standard. This meant that China would have all three main cellular technology 3G standards in commercial use. Finally in January 2009, Ministry of industry and Information Technology of China has awarded licenses of all three standards,TD-SCDMA to China Mobile, WCDMA to China Unicom and CDMA2000 to China Telecom. The launch of 3G occurred on 1 October 2009, to coincide with the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China.

In November 2008, Turkey has auctioned four IMT 2000/UMTS standard 3G licenses with 45, 40, 35 and 25 MHz top frequencies. Turkcell has won the 45 MHz band with its €358 million offer followed by Vodafone and Avea leasing the 40 and 35 MHz frequencies respectively for 20 years. The 25 MHz top frequency license remains to be auctioned.

The first African use of 3G technology was a 3G videocall made in Johannesburg on the Vodacom network in November 2004. The first commercial launch of 3G in Africa was by EMTEL in Mauritius on the W-CDMA standard. In north African Morocco in late March 2006, a 3G service was provided by the new company Wana.

T-Mobile, a major Telecommunication services provider has recently rolled out a list of over 120 U.S. cities which will be provided with 3G Network coverage in the year 2009.[12]

In 2008, India entered into 3G Mobile arena with the launch of 3G enabled Mobile services by Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). MTNL is the first Mobile operator in India to launch 3G services.

Features

Data rates

ITU has not provided a clear definition of the data rate users can expect from 3G equipment or providers. Thus users sold 3G service may not be able to point to a standard and say that the rates it specifies are not being met. While stating in commentary that "it is expected that IMT-2000 will provide higher transmission rates: a minimum data rate of 2 Mbit/s for stationary or walking users, and 348 kbit/s in a moving vehicle,"[13] the ITU does not actually clearly specify minimum or average rates or what modes of the interfaces qualify as 3G, so various rates are sold as 3G intended to meet customers expectations of broadband data.

Security

3G networks offer a greater degree of security than 2G predecessors. By allowing the UE (User Equipment) to authenticate the network it is attaching to, the user can be sure the network is the intended one and not an impersonator. 3G networks use the KASUMI block cryptoA5/1 stream cipher. However, a number of serious weaknesses in the KASUMI cipher have been identified. instead of the older

In addition to the 3G network infrastructure security, end-to-end security is offered when application frameworks such as IMS are accessed, although this is not strictly a 3G property.

Applications

The bandwidth and location information available to 3G devices gives rise to applications not previously available to mobile phone users. Some of the applications are:

  • Mobile TV - a provider redirects a TV channel directly to the subscriber's phone where it can be watched.
  • Video on demand - a provider sends a movie to the subscriber's phone.
  • Video conferencing - subscribers can see as well as talk to each other.
  • Tele-medicine - a medical provider monitors or provides advice to the potentially isolated subscriber.
  • Location-based services - a provider sends localized weather or traffic conditions to the phone, or the phone allows the subscriber to find nearby businesses or friends.

Evolution from 2G

2G networks were built mainly for voice services and slow data transmission.

Some protocols, such as EDGE for GSM and 1x-RTT for CDMA2000, are defined as "3G" services (because they are defined in IMT-2000 specification documents), but are considered by the general public to be 2.5G services (or 2.75G which sounds even more sophisticated) because they are several times slower than present-day 3G services.

From 2G to 2.5G

2.5G is a stepping stone between 2G and 3G cellular wireless technologies. The term "second and a half generation" is used to describe 2G-systems that have implemented a packet switched domain in addition to the circuit switched domain. It does not necessarily provide faster services because bundling of timeslots is used for circuit switched data services (HSCSD) as well.

The first major step in the evolution of GSM networks to 3G occurred with the introduction of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). CDMA2000 networks similarly evolved through the introduction of 1xRTT. So the cellular services combined with enhanced data transmission capabilities became known as '2.5G.'

GPRS could provide data rates from 56 kbit/s up to 114 kbit/s. It can be used for services such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) access, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), and for Internet communication services such as email and World Wide Web access. GPRS data transfer is typically charged per megabyte of traffic transferred, while data communication via traditional circuit switching is billed per minute of connection time, independent of whether the user actually is utilizing the capacity or is in an idle state.

1xRTT supports bi-directional (up and downlink) peak data rates up to 153.6 kbps, delivering an average user data throughput of 80-100 kbps in commercial networks[15]. It can also be used for WAP, SMS & MMS services, as well as Internet access.

From 2.5G to 2.75G (EDGE)

GPRS networks evolved to EDGE networks with the introduction of 8PSK encoding. Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS), or IMT Single Carrier (IMT-SC) is a backward-compatible digital mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates, as an extension on top of standard GSM. EDGE was deployed on GSM networks beginning in 2003—initially by Cingular (now AT&T) in the United States.

EDGE is standardized by 3GPP as part of the GSM family, and it is an upgrade that provides a potential three-fold increase in capacity of GSM/GPRS networks. The specification achieves higher data-rates (up to 236.8 kbit/s) by switching to more sophisticated methods of coding (8PSK), within existing GSM timeslots.

Evolution towards 4G

Both 3GPP and 3GPP2 are currently working on further extensions to 3G standards, named Long Term Evolution and Ultra Mobile Broadband, respectively. Being based on an all-IP network infrastructure and using advanced wireless technologies such as MIMO, these specifications already display features characteristic for IMT-Advanced (4G), the successor of 3G. However, falling short of the bandwidth requirements for 4G (which is 1 Gbit/s for stationary and 100 Mbit/s for mobile operation), these standards are classified as 3.9G or Pre-4G.

3GPP plans to meet the 4G goals with LTE Advanced, whereas Qualcomm has halted development of UMB in favour of the LTE family.[5]

On 14 December 2009, Telia Sonera announced in an official press release that "We are very proud to be the first operator in the world to offer our customers 4G services."[16] With the launch of their LTE network, initially they are offering pre-4G (or beyond 3G) services in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway.

Best Features of 3G Phones

The best features of 3G phones

A built-in digital camera is not the only recent innovation in phones, behind the scenes a bigger change is happening. Network connectivity is getting a dramatic boost in speed, enabling phone users to do the same things they are used to doing on their computers: manage email, photos, music and video. 3G phones have been designed for the next generation broadband-speed wireless networks.

You don't have to know anything about 3G technology in order to enjoy the new possibilities, but a few key facts will help you to evaluate what you might want to try to do with a 3G phone. Our brief guide to the 3G networks explains the technologies and phone/network compatibility issues, while this article discusses 3G phones and their features.

A 3G phone must be better than a 2G (GSM or CDMA) phone, right? Yes, 3G phones have the same features as 2G phones, plus plenty of new functionality, such as the capability to play videos, show live TV, play MP3 music, access email, display a live video conference with a friend, send and receive megapixel digital camera images and many more things are available. Some of the phone features depend on the services the 3G network operators are providing, and won't work without the service.

Are you thinking you won't ever need those new services? Most of us didn't believe we would ever type messages on a phone's small numeric keypad. Yet, text messaging has become one of the best-loved applications in modern technology. But are you still sure you would never access email on your phone? Or you would never watch the latest TV news on your phone? Don't bet serious money on not doing it, you may change your mind as soon as you get your first email, or seeing a Britney Spears video on the phone.

Speed matters in every network, and wireless communication is no exception. The two major 3G technologies, WCDMA/UMTS and CDMA 1x EV-DO, deliver such high-speed data communication capability for phones, which in optimal network coverage conditions is comparable to home broadband. Although the numbers for communication speeds are theoretical, and the real data transfer speeds often are considerably lower, for instance, when the phone is moving, the numbers indicate the design limits of a particular technology.


GSM/WCDMA technology family

CDMA technology family

3G

WCDMA/UMTS, HSDPA.

Voice and broadband speed data access. WCDMA 2 Mbps, HSDPA 10 Mbps.

CDMA 1x EV-DO and EV-DV.

Voice and broadband speed data access 2.4 Mbps.

2.5G

GPRS, EDGE

Voice, multimedia messaging. GPRS data 64 at Kbps, EDGE data at 384 Kbps.

CDMA2000 1xRTT

Voice, data communication at 307 Kbps.

2G

GSM

Voice communication, text messaging, data access at 9.6 Kbps.

CDMAOne IS-95

Voice communication, data access at 64 Kbps.

Many laptop computer owners have installed a wireless network (Wi-Fi) at home and have noticed that Wi-Fi is a pretty fast technology, with a maximum speed of 10Mbps for the type 802.11b network. So why can't phones use the faster Wi-Fi instead of 3G? Wi-Fi was designed to replace cables between computers and network hubs. The operating range of Wi-Fi is about 30-100 meters/100-300 feet and you can't move to another Wi-Fi access point without reconnecting. Also, there's no universal method of knowing where and how you can access a Wi-Fi access point. That said, advanced phones, such as Nokia 9500, and Qtek 2020i and iPAQ h6315 PDAs can connect both to Wi-Fi and mobile networks for optimal network connectivity.

If your neighborhood is covered by both WCDMA and EV-DO 3G networks, you have the luxury, or rather, the difficulty, of getting to choose between the two networks and for shopping for a compatible phone. The following checklist will help you to decide which way to go:


UMTS / WCDMA

CDMA 1x EV-DO

1. Network availability

Primarily Europe and Asia, also America, find the networks at your location

Primarily Asia and North America, check out the networks at your location

2. Number portability

If you have a GSM phone (the one with a small removable SIM card inside the phone), you can keep your existing number in many cases.

Keeping the same number is not possible when upgrading from 2G (CDMA or GSM) phones.

3. Phone selection

Plenty of phones available in Asia and a selection of phones in Europe.

Plenty of phones available in Asia, mainly in South Korea, and a selection of phones in North America.

4. Services in addition to phone calls and text messaging

High-speed access to email and Internet, send and receive photos, send and receive video, watch TV.

High-speed access to email and Internet, send and receive photos, send and receive video, watch TV.

5. Service plan

Check with your local service providers: if you intend to use email, or video, choose a plan with enough megabytes.

Check with your local service providers: if you intend to use email, or video, choose a plan with enough megabytes.

LG VX8000 EV-DO phone
Motorola E1000 WCDMA phone

Is an EV-DO phone better than an UMTS/WCDMA phone? No. It's a matter of the phone and the network service, and how they perform together. The coverage of 3G networks is not yet as extensive as 2G networks, and a phone with both 2G and 3G connectivity is a good choice because it provides better coverage. At the moment, UMTS/WCDMA has a better worldwide reach, and improved roaming and number portability, whereas EV-DO phones and services offer some innovative features and services, at least, in Asia.

3G phones are becoming widely available and affordable and soon we will be able to relate to them as our personal, portable communication and entertainment centers. Then, we will have tough choices to make: whether to listen to our own music collection, or to listen to the radio; to watch TV, or to watch a video; to check email messages, or to check out new comments posted on the personal blog. Or just phone home.

Intoducing 3G I Phone

Meet the fastest, most powerful i Phone yet. i Phone 3GS features video recording, Voice Control, up to 32GB of storage, and more.

New to iPhone? Find out why you’ll love it

Watch the
Guided Tour
The National Geographic site on iPhone 3GS, with a 2x faster badge.

The Fastest iPhone Ever

The first thing you’ll notice about iPhone 3GS is how quickly you can launch applications. Web pages render in a fraction of the time, and you can view email attachments faster. Improved performance and updated 3D graphics deliver an incredible gaming experience, too. In fact, everything you do on iPhone 3GS is up to 2x faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G.

Video

Images of the iPhone 3GS camera's tap to focus feature and the video camera interface.

Now you can shoot video, edit it, and share it — all on your iPhone 3GS. Shoot high-quality VGA video in portrait or landscape. Trim your footage by adjusting start and end points. Then share your video in an email, post it to your MobileMe gallery, publish it on YouTube, or sync it back to your Mac or PC using iTunes.
Learn more about video recording

3-Megapixel Camera

The new 3-megapixel camera takes great still photos, too, thanks to built-in autofocus and a handy new feature that lets you tap the display to focus on anything (or anyone) you want.
Learn more about the camera

The Voice Control screen and a call screen.

Voice Control

Voice Control recognizes the names in your Contacts and knows the music on your iPod. So if you want to place a call or play a song, all you have to do is ask.
Learn more about Voice Control

A map on iPhone 3GS rotated to show the correct direction and the Compass application.

Compass

With a built-in digital compass, iPhone 3GS can point the way. Use the new Compass app, or watch as it automatically reorients maps to match the direction you’re facing.1
Learn more about Maps + Compass

The iPhone 3GS keyboard and the Cut, Copy, and Paste interface.

Cut, Copy & Paste

Cut, copy, and paste words and photos, even between applications. Copy and paste images and content from the web, too.
Learn more about Cut, Copy & Paste

Landscape Keyboard

Want more room to type on the intelligent software keyboard? Rotate iPhone to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Messages, Notes, and Safari.
Learn more about the keyboard

Images showing the accessibility settings screen, the White on Black feature, and the Zoom settings screen.

Accessibility

iPhone 3GS offers accessibility features to assist users who are visually or hearing impaired. These features include the VoiceOver screen reader, a Zoom feature, White on Black display options, Mono Audio, and more.
Learn more about accessibility

A laptop connected to an iPhone 3GS with Internet tethering active.

Internet Tethering

Surf the web from practically anywhere. Now you can share the 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac notebook or PC laptop. Tethering is not currently offered in the U.S. and some other countries. See your carrier for availability.

Learn more about Internet tethering

The Voice Memos application.

Voice Memos

Capture and share a thought, a memo, a meeting, or any audio recording on the go with the new Voice Memos application.
Learn more about Voice Memos

The Nike Plus iPod interface.

Nike + iPod

iPhone includes built-in Nike + iPod support. Just slip the Nike + iPod Sensor (available separately) into your Nike+ shoe and start your workout.

The Stocks application in landscape with a chart tracking stock peformance.

Stocks

Stocks on iPhone shows you charts, financial details, and headline news for any stock you choose. Rotate iPhone to see even more detailed information.

The YouTube application playing a video of a surfing dog.

YouTube

Watch YouTube videos wherever you are. Log in to your YouTube account to save and sync bookmarks and rate your favorites.

iPhone showing Important Message
Safari showing the mobileme site, find my iphone section

Find My i Phone
and Remote Wipe

If you misplace your i Phone, Apple’s Mobile Me service can help you find it. Log on to me.com to view a map that shows the approximate location of your i Phone. If it’s nearby, have it play an alert sound to help you find it. If it’s not, you can display a custom message, remotely lock it with a pass code, or initiate a remote wipe and restore it to factory settings. Learn more at the Mobile Me site

Everything you love about i Phone.

Phone, i Pod, and Internet device in one, i Phone 3GS offers desktop-class email, an amazing Maps application, and Safari — the world’s most advanced mobile web browser. And your i Phone does even more when you add apps from the App Store.

Images of the iPhone 3GS Home screen, call screen, iPod now playing screen featuring The Killers, Safai featuring the New York Times, and the Facebook application.


3G -> Features

PACKET EVERYWHERE

With Third Generation (3G), the information is split into separate but related “packets” before being transmitted and reassembled at the receiving end. Packet switching is similar to a jigsaw puzzle- the image that the puzzle represents is divided into pieces at the manufacturing factory and put into a plastic bag. During transportation of the now boxed jigsaw from the factory to the end user, the pieces get jumbled up. When the recipient empties the bag with all the pieces, they are reassembled to form the original image. All the pieces are all related and fit together, but the way they are transported and assembled varies.

Packet switched data formats are much more common than their circuit switched counterparts. Other examples of packet-based data standards include TCP/IP, X.25, Frame Relay and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). As such, whilst packet switching is new to the GSM world, it is well established elsewhere. In the mobile world, CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data), PDCP (Personal Digital Cellular Packet), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and wireless X.25 technologies have been in operation for several years. X.25 is the international public access packet radio data network standard.

INTERNET EVERYWHERE

The World Wide Web is becoming the primary

communications interface- people access the Internet for entertainment and information collection, the intranet for accessing company information and connecting with colleagues and the extranet for accessing customers and suppliers. These are all derivatives of the World Wide Web aimed at connecting different communities of interest. There is a trend away from storing information locally in specific software packages on PCs to remotely on the Internet. When you want to check your schedule or contacts, instead of using a software package such as “Act!”, you go onto the Internet site such as a portal. Hence, web browsing is a very important application for packet data.

HIGH SPEED

Speeds of up to 2 Megabits per second (Mbps) are achievable with Third Generation (3G). The data transmission rates will depend upon the environment the call is being made in- it is only indoors and in stationary environments that these types of data rates will be available. For high mobility, data rates of 144 kbps are expected to be available- this is only about three times the speed of today’s fixed telecoms modems.

NEW APPLICATIONS, BETTER APPLICATIONS

Third Generation (3G) facilitates several new applications that have not previously been readily available over mobile networks due to the limitations in data transmission speeds. These applications range from Web Browsing to file transfer to Home Automation- the ability to remotely access and control in-house appliances and machines. Because of the bandwidth increase, these applications will be even more easily available with 3G than they were previously with interim technologies such as GPRS.

SERVICE ACCESS

To use Third Generation (3G), users specifically need:

  • A mobile phone or terminal that supports Third Generation (3G)
  • A subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports Third Generation (3G)
  • Use of Third Generation (3G) must be enabled for that user.Automatic access to the 3G may be allowed by some mobile network operators, others will charge a monthly subscription and require a specific opt-in to use the service as they do with other nonvoice mobile services
  • Knowledge of how to send and/ or receive Third Generation (3G) information using their specific model of mobile phone, including software and hardware configuration (this creates a customer service requirement)
  • A destination to send or receive information through Third Generation (3G). From day one, Third Generation (3G) users can access any web page or other Internet applications- providing an immediate critical mass of users.

These user requirements are not expected to change much for the meaningful use of 3G.

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