Handhelds and Phones
3G - or third generation -- wireless phones and IP-enabled handheld computing devices are a category of product you'll be hearing and seeing a lot more of over the next few years. Note, however, that some systems claiming to be 3G are actually more correctly termed "2.5G."
The first challenge for true 3G technology and its advocates is the allocation of previous radio frequency spectra for the required signals. An FCC-administered bandwidth auction, originally slated for Sept. 2000, was delayed until March 2001 and is now in its final phases.
High-speed Services -- eventually
Once this bandwidth infrastructure is in place, we expect to see a rapid proliferation of wireless Internet devices and IP enabled phones. However, efforts by the network service providers to keep infrastructure costs down and maximize profits means that you won't be seeing the full performance 3G networks are capable of delivering initially.
In the U.S., Sprint has announced its intention to be the first to roll out 3G phones and network coverage, with initial offering by the end of this year. According to a CNET news report, the wireless service provider says its network will extend to 4,000 cities by the middle of 2002, and that by 2003 it will offer service capable of sending data at speeds in the millions of kilobytes per second, which would enable applications like sending video clips and digital images to wireless devices. Currently, no Canadian service providers have committed to a firm timeline, although BCE in Jan. 2000 said that it expected to roll out offerings by 2002, delivering a few hundred Kbps of data at first, and gradually reaching 2.2 Mbps or even faster rates.
High-speed Glossary
Even before 3G network infrastructures are in place, companies are jockeying for leadership positions. Samsung Electronics, in mid-Nov., 2000, announced a cell phone capable of streaming video that would work on 2G networks. Sharp announced a Dec. 15, 2000 release for a video-enabled version of its "Zaurus" handheld. Kyocera and Palm have been showing wireless convergence devices based on the forthcoming Palm OS 4.0.
Most of the other major phone manufacturers -- Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola, and Psion, have standardized on a platform they helped develop: Sybian Ltd.'s Epoc.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has signed deals with Samsung, Mitsubishi Inc. and UK-based Sendo plc for its next-gen phone, code-named "Stinger." Versions of the phone based on the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) standard are expected to be rolled out in Europe later this year or early in 2002. The company says it plans to have a version of Stinger running on the North American CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) standard by April 2001, but isn't expected to launch the device in this country until 2002.
HP has announced plans to develop a Jornada handheld model that will support the GPRS and GSM standards to work as a cell phone. The Jornada uses Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system. The Jornada, like (HP-owned) Compaq's iPAQ, Casio's Cassiopeia and other Windows CE devices, already support Windows Media Player for Pocket PC, which allows MPEG-4 video streaming, web browsing and email services.
The 3G wireless network architectures and these so-called "smart phones" and other advanced handheld devices promise to deliver advanced, high-speed data services including speech to text, graphics, video and multimedia content. The bandwidth range at issue in the auction is in the 700 MHz band, a frequency range considered ideal for 3G services, thanks to its ability to pass through buildings and obstacles.
However, there are signs that early 3G implementations may prove to be a disappointment. British Telecom (BT), in a document detailing all the financial risks faced by the company, warns that UMTS -- the system which 3G will be built on in Europe -- "may not prove superior to existing technologies" and that a lot of work still needs to be done on it. The document warns that that the next-generation networks will need new cell towers and that the handsets and software are behind schedule and may delay any launches.
As an interesting aside, it turns out that all those warning you've been hearing about while onboard airplanes might not be true. A Wired magazine article quotes Boeing spokeswoman Mary Jean Olsen as saying "We've never been able to replicate it, so we can't verify that (portable electronic devices) do interfere."
In the articles linked to this page, you'll see who is setting the standards, where the technology's going and what consumers will have to choose from in.
At this writing, the first true 3G system we've seen announced is from U.K-based Three, which should provide real 3G services beginning in the second half of 2003.
What's Ahead
For further reading:
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