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Networks: 3g and 2.5g |
slattery69
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: north east england
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in the uk i dont think we will have a chose if we want 3g or to say with 2g. the 4 companys have paid so much for lisenses they need pay back and the only way to get pay back is to get everyone on 3g.
i have a feeling they will do what they are doing with analouge tv and that is switch it off on a given date wehter you like it or not.
once all 4 networks have 3 g up and running and covering most of the country i believe they will annonce the shut down of the 2g network.
a lot of people change there phones every year so in reality only a small amount of people would suffer and 3g phones at this moment in time are dirt cheap starting from £30 on payg |
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scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: UK
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@jplacson
I disagree that 3G is 'dead', voda_jon raises a very important point to back up my opinion, the cost of 3G. The networks have simply spent too much money on 3G to allow it to be a failure, they will promote and push it as much as they can. EDGE is not an option being seriously considered in Western Europe for precisely this reason, it would be too much competition for 3G.
The problems with handsets are now largely being solved, the latest generation of 3G handsets are, in fcat, not all that much different to 2.5G handsets in terms of both battery performance and size. I would imagine that within the next year we shall see 3G capturing an ever larger slice of the mobile market in Western Europe.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
viper7
Joined: Sep 17, 2002
Posts: 69
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One important point everyone is missing is the fact 3G was originally conceived to cope with the demand for greater network capacity. By this I mean the networks found that existing infrastructure for 2G networks was not efficicient enough to cope with the ever increasing demand for voice (yes peeps, voice!) calls and hence 3G was developed. One of added bonus 3G bought along with it was the ability to have increased data speeds! Obviously the networks play on the data and services this will enable as they are more marketable to consumers and businesses! 3G will work as in this industry the trends are set by the networks not the consumer...remember (as previosly mentioned in another post) analogue frequencies were switched off and barely anyone noticed!...the networks will, at some point in the future, only sell handsets that utilize UMTS (3G) and offer free upgrades to get everyone using them!!!
[ This Message was edited by: viper7 on 2004-12-12 20:20 ] |
Atlis
Joined: Dec 09, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: European Union
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Guys u would be surprised how is EDGE becoming popular in my country. I used only GPRS net connection, but now we have EDGE nearly everywhere and the difference between 4 - 5.5kb/s and 22 - 29kb/s download is unbelievable!
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OluYom
Joined: Oct 27, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Nigeria
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I forsee a situation in which countries that are yet to lean towards 3g may actually frog-leap over it to 4g IF developed fast enough.
It does seem that the greatest factor likely to make 3g succeed where it has already been adopted is the high level of finances injected into takng it up.
Hopefully, other countries will learn one or two things from the largely European experience. |
harryville
Joined: Jun 22, 2004
Posts: 146
From: Stockholm
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This might be a stupid question, but can 3g phones from Japan work in Europe??
GSM phones from different parts of the world are not always compatIble!! |
OluYom
Joined: Oct 27, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Nigeria
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If the phones work on the Euopean frequencies of 900/1800 Mhz, Yes. If not, no. |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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From: UK
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@AYA
The problem with your theory is that there are many nations around the world, including your own, which have a great number of people who cannot afford current 2.5/2.75G mobiles, let alone 3G mobiles and I presume that 4G mobiles will be even more expensive again.
In addition to the necessary consumer spending required there is also the factor of the networks having to upgrade, yet more money.
@harryville
European 3G mobiles are able to roam in Japan, both 3 and Vodafone utilising Vodafone's WCDMA network in Japan, consequently, Japanese 3G mobiles can be used in Europe.
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"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC
[ This Message was edited by: scotsboyuk on 2004-12-12 21:51 ] |
omnislash
Joined: Jul 27, 2004
Posts: 90
From: Mumbai, India
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To add some more point that in the usa people prefer using 2g(tdma, cdma) more than 2.5g(gsm) also 3G is better than GSM IN MANY aspects like in india while downloading stuffs using gsm phones we get that temporary error msg but in 3G the whole thing is real time its like so fast that it seems that you are sitting next to a cell tower a perfect seamless connection :-)
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OluYom
Joined: Oct 27, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Nigeria
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@scots. Very true, the point you raised there. For example, the only 2.5g network we have is the newest: it was implemented from scratch. The others who started with 2g are yet to make the kind of profits to justify network upgrades at the moment.
Again, even if any of the 2g nets decide to upgrade, therez no way they will make a dime on 3g, in line with the issue of affordability & customer perception. Thatz why I said I aint seeing 3g showing up here.
But then the issues you raised certainly blow a hole in my theory 
PS: I used to be known as AYA |
harryville
Joined: Jun 22, 2004
Posts: 146
From: Stockholm
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@scotsboyuk
Thanks for the info.
I knew about GSM networks but was unsure about 3g |
OluYom
Joined: Oct 27, 2004
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From: Nigeria
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@scots. Havng said that, the 2/2.5/2.75g platforms being a progression, we have some 2g phones that are more expenive than some 2.5g phones, for example. The implication is that we may have a scenario where price differentials in 3g sets & 4g sets may not be necessarily vast.
I am not certain of the tech details behind 4g, but I suspect that it will be a progression of 3g. GloMobile here bypassed 2g entirely and are recording good success. We really could end up with a situation in which one or more networks here and there actually bypass 3g & implement 4g.
That again, of course would depend on certain factors, including speed of development of 4g.
PS: I used to be known as AYA |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: UK
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@AYA
Who in Negeria would use 4G? With respect, is there a mass market for data services, which one would have to pay for? Does Nigeria have the infrastructure and/or culture necessary to promote and enable data services to expand? Does the average Nigerian sit in coffee houses each day texting friends; or have enough disposable income to facilitate buying ringtones, wallpapers, themes, etc on a regular basis; or take part in mass television/radio texting events; or travel abroad on a regular basis to make video calls a necessary feature to remain close to friends and family?
Part of the reason certain mobile technologies haven't taken off in the U.S. is precisely because of a lack of the necessary mobile culture, which underpins such technology.
"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC |
OluYom
Joined: Oct 27, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Nigeria
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@scots. Here are a number of factors that have generated a strong mobile culture (including data services) in the last 3 years:
1. High cost of acquiring PCs & accessories
2. High cost of acquiring regular narrowband & broadband internet access
3. Comparatively lower costs of acquiring & servicing mobile phones
The above factors have already given rise to a strong mobile data culture, including mobile banking & payments, mobile info access via SATK, CSD & GPRS, among others. These are realities on ground.
A growing number of small businesses (including mine) harness the potentials of mobile data services to compete effectively against the large corporations. More ppl are ccessing their mail at home & on the move via GPRS (one of the factors for the remarkable growth of the newest network Glo, which now has appx 2m subscribers after 1 year of operations).
The possibilities are enormous, really. Of course, there are no guarantees. |
scotsboyuk
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
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From: UK
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@AYA
What percentage of the Nigerian population uses those services though? What percentage, of those who do use such services, do so on a regular basis? How much money is being generated by the use of such services in Nigeria? Would any of these figures be great enough to support any of the Nigerian networks leaping ahead to 4G?
The other factor to take into consideration is the fact that many manufacturers will not want to make expensive handsets for markets, where only a fraction of the population have the capability to purchase and use those handsets. 3G handsets are very heavily subsidised in Britain, the 3G networks hope that revenue from data services will be enough to earn such subsidies back. Would the Nigerian networks be able to offer such subsidies and would they realisticaly be able to recoup them?
Perhaps a pan-African network might be in a better position to offer advanced services in select African countries. Africa has an image problem when it comes to attracting investment; which networks or manufacturers would want to set up in Sierra Leone or Zimbabwe, for example?
3G would actually help to standardise services around the world, if it became popular enough. The availability of advanced services in the industrialised nations could mean that developing nations gain the same services as tourists and business travellers from the industrialised nations come to expect them as standard, providing impetus for the networks in the industrial nations to invest more in developing nations.
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"I may be drunk my dear woman, but in the morning I will be sober, and you will still be ugly." WSC
[ This Message was edited by: scotsboyuk on 2004-12-13 02:42 ] |
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Posted: 2004-12-12 19:29
