Advantages and Disadvantages of 3G Network - Essay Example

Introduction The world had come a long way from personal letters sealed by wax in an envelope. People now live where a conversation with a love onefrom continents away is done with just a touch of a button. We are in a time where messages can be sent across seas in a matter of seconds, not months. This is a world where information and news can be received by anyone in the convenience of their own homes. This is the privilege of living in this decade. But what's next The communication technologies at work today may be at its finest but there always are innovations up ahead. A few years ago, the GPRS services seemed like the future, but it is now perceived as slow, expensive and is too much of a hassle. That is why a new generation of mobile telephone communication system was developed, the 3G. 3G technology is short for third generation mobile telephone communication system technology. This technology promises better, faster and more efficient data transfer through cellular phones. It boasts 2Megabites per second data transfers which allow video calls, conferencing, mobile banking, map positioning services and internet access among others. With this transfer rate it is the task of the service providers to utilize it to the fullest by giving a variety of services for the subscribers. Along with the above mentioned 3G capable cell phones will still have conventional voice and messaging services. History The institution responsible for standardizing 3G is the International Telecommunication Union or ITU. The standards for 3G are specifically known as the IMT-2000. This stands for International Mobile Telecommunications system finalized in the year 2000. After this establishment, the development of physical equipments may then proceed. In May of 2001, the first pre-commercial 3G network was launched in Japan branded FOMA. The company responsible for this is NTT DoCoMo. This same company then launched the first commercial 3G in Japan on October of the same year. Korea and Europe then followed. (Wikipedia) Mobile phones were originally just for voice data transmissions, much like its land line forefathers. This was considered the second generation or 2G. But with the increase in demand for better audio qualities and later on the demand for faster data transmissions, a better system is require, this lead to the development or 3G. The first step to this change was the switch from 2G to GPRS or General Packet Radio Service. With this change came the increase in data rates from 56kbps to 114kbps. This now will allow not just voice data but also short message service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and wireless application protocol (WAP). Another change made was the per-megabite charging as oppose to the per-minute charging of 2G. Continuing, the GPRS service, otherwise known as 2.5G, was upgraded to 2.75G or Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution. By definition, EDGE falls under IMT-2000 and should be called 3G but it is more frequently referred to as 2.75G, but it is more like an improved GPRS than 3G. (Wikipedia) According to the ITU, the key characteristics of IMT-2000 are flexibility, affordability, compatibility with existing systems and modular design. It is said to be flexible because it can accommodate five possible radio interfaces based on three different technologies which are FDMA, TDMA and CDMA. This avoids the problem of supporting a wide range of different interfaces and technologies. It is also agreed to make it more affordable so as to encourage the adoption by consumers and operators. The existence of the present technologies will also not cease because 3G is also compatible with these. And finally, the 3G system should be easily expandable in order to allow growth. Specifications 3G may have all the bells and whistles to brag about but it is, for a fact, a cellular telephone system, and all cellular telephone systems function the same way. The basic concept of two-way mobile telephone is quite simple; however, mobile telephone systems involve intricate and rather complex communications network (Tomasi, W.). The cellular telephone system was born when researchers at the Bell Telephone Laboratories determined that by subdividing relatively large geographic market areas into smaller sections, called cells, the concept of frequency reuse could be employed to increase the capacity of mobile telephone channel (Tomasi). Frequency reuse was quite important since the radio spectrum is generally considered a scarce resource. This is not only used by mobile operators, but it is shared with other industries like broadcasting and the government intelligence. Because of this, mobile telephones now have a limited allotment of frequencies to be used. This was particularly true for pre-3G mobile systems which had a spectrum of 870MHz to 890MHz, but 3G has a broader spectrum of 3GHz upper limit. A cellular network, as previously said, is divided into cells which are usually in groups of seven or clusters (ITU). These cells are shaped hexagonal forming a honeycomb shape for the cluster. This shape was specifically chosen over the usual radial or circular one is that this avoids the occurrence of "dead spots" or areas where no signal can be found. At the center of every cell is a base station where the transceiver and switching equipment can be found. The base stations for every cell is then interconnected and joined to a single point called the Mobile Switching Office (ITU) which is then connected to other telephone operators. One of the most important features of a cellular system is its ability to transfer calls that are already in progress from one base station to another as the mobile unit moves from cell to cell within a cellular network (Tomasi). Aside from the network, another very important component of the 3G technology is the mobile phone it self. There are a lot of available mobile phones in the market, some 3G capable and some are not. What sets 3G phones different is that they are able to perform the functions the technology promises, for example: video calls and internet applications. These phones are considered "smart phones" because of the greater bandwidth capacity and the true multimedia experience they can provide. Basically, 3G phones can be considered as very mobile mini-computers (Brain, et. Al.). Advantages and Disadvantages So, in review, the reasons of why the 3G technology is so special should be made. Here are some advantages that 3G can offer (silicon-press.com): it has a broader spectrum than that of existing technologies which are now in use, more bandwidth, security and reliability. It also boasts interoperability between service providers and it can accommodate both fixed and variable data rates. It has backward compatibility of devices with existing networks thus allowing a gradual upgrade. Always-online devices, 3G will use IP connectivity, IP is packet based. Not to mention that it appeals to the masses because it allows rich multimedia services. Although the 3G technology sounds very fascinating, it still not universally implemented. It can only be seen on the more urban areas most especially the cities. This is because mobile service providers may be a little apprehensive about upgrading too soon because the cost of 3G is very high. First this that the companies should do is buying the license to use the spectrum, which is very expensive. If there still be money left, the companies should then start constructing the towers for the base stations which again will cost them a lot. Another reason for the delay in upgrade is that users are also apprehensive with the technology since the handsets used are more expensive than the current ones in use. There is also the issue of the complexity of the handsets. 3G handsets may offer a lot more services but this entails larger units to accommodate bigger displays, processors, special hardware and batteries. Crowed Acceptance 3G, based on the name itself, is the next generation of mobile communications. It offers faster, cheaper and more reliable data transmissions. It allows applications which are impossible in the past. It is assumed that there will come a point that this technology is used by everybody. The target consumers for this technology may be for anyone and everyone who needs a mobile communication device but as observed, it is still used in select places and by a select class of consumers. As previously mentioned, the shift to a new technology is not abrupt. The construction of central offices and towers for 3G is quite expensive. That is why, 3G is only found in highly populated places such as cities. Another thing to be considered is that 3G mobile phone units are more expensive compared to their counterparts. This narrows the consumer base of the technology to the higher working class. This makes sense considering the applications allowed by 3G. The voice calls and fast mobile internet is most utilized with this class. Putting aside the restrictions just made the technology appeals to everybody. 3G may be more suitable to the higher working class of today but there are a lot of technology savvy individuals also seeking the benefits of it. 3G allows faster mobile gaming thus appealing to the youth. Mapping and GPS able units and applications are often used by locals and travelers alike. Faster internet provides students with the information they need to go about their studies. Video calls also broaden the consumer rage to include just about anybody. There will come a point where all will use 3G. This indicates that the early stages of the transition from pre-3G to 3G is now in its later stages. More and more individuals are able use it. Having used the technology, one can say that it is a very friendly and effective compared to what he is used to. No doubt, people do welcome 3G very warmly. Conclusion The concept of 3G started back in the 90s. The International Telecommunications Union made the standard for this new technology and made it final as IMT-2000 or the International Mobile Telecommunications of year 2000. This technology was developed because there was an increasing need of faster data transmission for mobile devices. 2G which only accommodated voice data transfers wasn't sufficient thus developing the pre-3G technologies: 2.5G or GPRS and 2.75G or EDGE. That is why the building of a 3G network followed not long after. The first working pre-commercial 3G network was launched in Japan by NTT DoCoMo in May of 2001. By October of the same year, the same company launched the first commercial 3G network. 3G or any cellular telephone system function the same way: a relatively large geographic market area is subdivided into smaller sections called cells. Since the radio spectrum is considered a scarce resource a system called frequency reuse is deployed. Since this spectrum is shared with other companies and the government, the allotted spectrum for 3G is 870MHz to 3GHz. This is greater than what was allotted to previous systems which only go up to 890MHz. This greater spectrum allows the consumers to have greater bandwidth applications such as video calls, online gaming, and mapping functions among others. This is very appealing to all consumers from students to mothers, most especially to business executives whose function involves a lot of calls and data transfers. References: Tomasi, W. (2003) Cellular Telephone Systems, Electronic Communication Systems: Fundamentals Through Advances, Fifth Edition. ISBN 981-247-093-X. International Telecommunications Union. 3G: About the Technology. Opened: April 29, 2009. http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/ni/3g/technology/index.html Brain, ET. Al. Cell phone network technologies: 3G, How Cell Phones Work. Opened April 29, 2009. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone9.htm Silicon Press. Third Generation (3G) Wireless: Technology Brief. Opened April 29, 2009. http://www.silicon-press.com/briefs/brief.3g/index.html Wikipedia. Third Generation (3G). Opened April 30, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G Read More