3G Technology Review
Yalçın Sertkaya, Software Consultant, Oct. 9, 2009
Nowadays 3G is a popular technology, and it is generally presented with movies, music downloading etc. features. One thing that is certain, however, is that 3G is more than entertainment. 3G is an abbreviation for Third Generation, and also known as IMT-2000, a global standard for wireless communication, defined by ITU (International Telecommication Union). The standard is not new, actually it was launched ten years ago, in1999. Since then, 3G wireless communications passed many evolutions.
Mobile Evolution
The first mobile phones were used in cars and trucks with a mounted antenna in 1946 and were produced by Motorola. Actually this phone was not mobile, ( its weight was nearly 20 kg.), although the communication was wireless. After this period, named as ‘0G’, the first real commercial mobile phones were used in Japan in 1980 (They were called “commercial” because the earlier examples of mobile phones were used for military purposes). This technology, provided by NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone) takes its place in history as Analog Technology and is known as 1G.
The first digital phones were used in 1991 in Finland. Nordic European countries were the pioneers of all mobile communication technology. Since their countries are mountainous, it was not easy to lay telephone lines across the internal regions. This explains why the biggest mobile phone producers like Nokia and Eriksson, are from these countries.
With the usage of digital mobile phones, data had started to be transported through mobile phones. The technology of this period, also known as “2G” was called GSM. With GSM, beside sound, the first data transfers were realized. First data SMS application that was issued in this period called 2G. At first the 14 kbit/s data rates only supported SMS services. With GPRS technology, the application of more complicated services known as 2,5G started. Data rates were extended to 114 kbit/s, which enabled many other data services like : MMS(Multi Media Messaging Service), WAP, PTT (Push To Talk), and Wireless Village to provide data services. All of these services are frequently used in Turkey, except for Wireless Village which is an instant messaging system.
EDGE technology, which provides email services on mobile phones takes its place in mobile history as “2.75G”. It’s data rates are 473 kbit/s. By the way, given data rates are theoretical maximum rates, so some values may not be reached practically. Another important point is that given rates are downlink rates. The fact is that there are two types of data rates for mobile phones; The uplink; rate from the phone to the base station, the downlink; rate from the base station to the phone. The downlink rate is more important and is more frequently used, and is always higher than the uplink rate. It is not an explicit rule, but usually, uplink is 1/3 lower than downlink.
All base stations are being upgraded to 3G. With this technology, data rates will reach 2 Mbit/s. The difference with previous technologies is the usage of TDMA based network instead of CDMA and FDMA. TDMA stands for Time Division Multiple Access, it allows several users to share the same frequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots. Another important difference is the usage of packet-switched data exchange instead of circuit switched data. The first 3G network was used in Japan by NTT in 2001. The first instalments in USA & Europe were in 2003. Today totally 120 countries has 3G networks.
There are three milestones after 3G, named 3.5G, 3.9G and 4G. The 3.5G, HSPA technology will be used with maximum 42 Mbit/s data rate, the 3.9G, LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology will use at least 100Mbit/s, and finally 4G; is targeted to use 1Gbit/s data rate. These data rates may seem futuristic but some local implementations exist for 4G, and NTT delivers statements about 4G services, saying it will start in Japan in the beginning of 2010.
3G Features
The most noteworthy features can be listed as follows:
- High Data rates. Especially with LTE technology usage rates will reach 100 Mbit/s. This will enable laptops and phones to use Internet. Internet usage was also possible with previous technologies, but it never came to an effective speed.
- Security. Until 3G, encryption was supplied with 54 bit, but 3G enables 128 bit encryption with KASUMI algorithm. In addition, the many security leaks of previous technologies, will become history with 3G.
- Simultaneous Voice & Data Transmision. With the 2G technologies it was possible to transmit data & voice, but not at the same time. With 3G, it will be possible to transmit data during voice transmission.
- Parlay X/OSA API. Parlay X is an Application programming interface that brings ease of use to mobile services. By this API, software programmers will develop application without knowing the details about underlying mobile technology, only calling web services. Mobile commerce and mobile web applications are supposed to boom with the help of Parlay API.
Usage Trends
There are currently 400+ million mobile 3G users in the world as of 2007. This corresponds to 20% of total mobile user on the average. Google trends shows an important increase 3G popularity.
There are currently 60 million mobile users in Turkey, and the number of 3G users is expected to increase to become at least 12 million in a short time. Since the young population is high at Turkey, this number can even be much more. Currently, the number of 3G users is over 2 million.
Issues with 3G
There are also some problems related to 3G. For example, it is not possible to use 3G with the supported high data rate while driving. Although it is advertised for watching TV from the phone, image quality is not high. Efficient TV watching will be possible with 3.9G or later.
With 3G, upgraded base stations will produce ten times more radiation & magnetic area compared to the old ones. It is unhealthy from this point of view, but it is healthier to use this phone since it will be watched from 20-30 cm distant from the head instead of listening near the ear. Bad impacts of radiation produced by phones will be decreased. ??? HOW???
Another problem is about battery life, since 3G phones use much more battery. They will be charged more often and the battery life will be short.
3G in Turkey
First 3G tender was opened in September 2007 in Turkey. However mobile operators other than Turkcell reported that without number portability feature, they will not participate and thus the tender was canceled. At the end of the 2008, tender was re-opened and Turkcell, Avea and Vodafone all received 3G licenses. New tenders will not be opened for the next 70 years, operators will offer future technologies without waiting in accordance with the existing contract.
Entering late into 3G technology is a pessimistic opinion. Because the 3G handsets become cheaper recently and they began to find the field of use. In addition, because licenses are sold abroad 40 times more expensive compared to Turkey, license fees were reflected in the subscription fees. And thus, 3G could not find a wide field of use. Fees at Turkey at this moment is not more expensive than 2G fees.
3G Applications
3G Applications can be examined in three parts:
Personal Applications:
- Watching TV
- Video recording and sending simultaneously
- Watching home, office etc. with security cameras (Big brother applications)
- Video blogging
- Music download
- VideoCam application (Watching weather conditions at a remote city, traffic etc.)
- Phone usage for hearing impaired people
- Watching movies by using mobile eyeglasses
Application for Corporates
- Mobile Conference. Peoples at any location in the world can join meetings by using 3G enabled handsets or with a personal computer with 3G modem.
- Mobile presentation. A presentation, a document or any content can be watched by everybody from their handsets or computers.
- Video Agent. Common problems or requests can be answered by showing a video clip with detailed step-by-step instructions, or problems can be solved by the help of an agent with live connection.
- Telemetry applications. Remote watching & listening of locations without humans, such as power stations, dams etc. It is also used in health care for remote diagnosis, or Security, Agriculture.
- E-learning. Training will become easier, location independent, trainees can be anywhere, in a remote location, home or in a classroom.
Application for Banking
- Video Agent. Customers can do banking transactions with call center agents as if they are in the bank’s branch, by seeing live agents on their phones.
- Video Outbound. Customers that have 3G handsets can be called by call center agent to be informed or for selling products.
- Video Interactive. The customer can view agent video and content like statements, debit slips etc. in split screen. Agent can help the customer interactively.
- Video Brochure. Rich media brochure that consists of video and images can be pushed to customer phones to inform them about banking products.
- Video Menu. Customers can select banking transactions from a visual menu instead of listening them on the phone, so shorter connection times will reduce costs.
- Nearest Bank. In combination with GPS services, it is possible to direct the customer to a bank branch or ATM on the map.
- Virtual Assistant. A “skilled” virtual agent can help customers to handle some basic and self service transactions. This type of computerized agent can speak any language with text to speech feature, can change his attitude according to customer’s mood, or text to be read, can recognize speech etc.
- Video Portal. As in web portals, a video portal that involves heavy content can attract attention and can have a high hit rate.
- Banking for Hearing Impaired People. Agents that know sign language can help hearing impaired people to do banking transactions. A similar feature can be provided by virtual assistants who “know” the sign language.
- Enhanced WAP Applications. WAP is not a new technology but it could not find wide usage area until now, because of security leaks and speed limititations. With 3G, these problems will be resolved and WAP most probably will find a wider usage area.
- Face Recognition. Face recognition applications authenticate the connected customer by comparing his face with apreviously recorded snapshot. However, current image quality is not high, these type of applications will produce more successful results with later 3G technologies.
- Channel Integration. 3G applications can be easily extended to other channels like internet, kiosk. Another approach is to extend ATM or IVR applications to 3G menu structure to gain common user interface advantages.
- Video Recording for security purposes. Currently voice recordings are used in case of fraud. Obviously, it is more trustworthy to use video recordings.
- Video POS. 3G enabled POS devices can be used to inform customers with rich media at idle times.
As a Last...
3G mobile communication will definitely be an important milestone in technology. Data rates will be higher in near future and smartphones that embodies computer technology will find wider usage. As a result, handsets will be an indispensable part of our lives. Surely, their names will not stay as ‘phones’, telephone calls will only be one of their features.
