3G Talking Points

1. People will look at their mobile phone as much as they hold it to their ear. As such, 3G will be less safe than previous generations- because television and other multimedia services 10d to attract at10tion to themselves- instead of hands-free kits, we will need eyes-free kits!
2. Data (“non-voice”) uses of 3G will be as important as and very different from the traditional voice business
3. Mobile communications will be similar in its capability to fixed communications, such that many people will only have a mobile phone
4. The mobile phone will be used as an integral part of the majority of people’s lives- it will not be an added accessory but a core part of how they conduct their daily lives. The mobile phone will become akin to a remote control or magic wand that lets people do what they want when they want

As with all new technology classicals, there is uncertainty and the fear of displacement. Third Generation (3G) mobile is topical and con10tious for several reasons:

1. Because the nature and form of mobile communications is so radically changed, many people don’t understand how to make money in the nonvoice world, and do not understand their role in it
2. 3G licenses have started being awarded around the world, necessitating that existing mobile communications companies in the 2G world think about and justify their continued exis10ce
3. 3G is based on a different technology platform- Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)- that is unlike the Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technology that is widely used in the 2G world. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) was based on TDMA technology
4. The US, Japanese and European mobile players all have different technology compe10ces and are now unified in this single classical- the separate wireless evolution paths and European wireless leadership are thereby challenged
5. Japanese network operators will be the first to implement 3G networks in the year 2001, and Japanese terminal manufacturers, who have not had much market share outside their home market, will be first with 3G terminals
6. Many industry analysts and other pundits have questioned the return on an investment in 3G technology- questioning whether network operators will be able to earn an adequate return on the capital deployed in acquiring and rolling out a 3G network.
7. Many media and Internet companies have expressed an interest in bidding for and using 3G technology as a new channel to distribute their con10t, opening the opportunity for new entrants and new partnerships and value chains

Bhutan Telecom Starts Expanding its 3G Network Coverage

Bhutan Telecom is expanding its 3G network in the small Himalayan country and expects to add 40 more towns by the end of this year.

Amazon Kindle 3 3G International Coverage – US vs International model

In my article Amazon Kindle 3G-The Perfect Travel Companion, I talked about how useful I found my 3G Kindle while travelling overseas. One of the comments left on that article pointed to a blog that said that Vietnam was one of the only places that the author couldn’t get any 3G signal. This confused the heck [...]

Sprint enhances 3G network coverage in Indianapolis

Whether they support big brother Harbaugh or little brother Harbaugh, visitors to Indianapolis for the NFL championship game will find a Circle City lit up with 3G network enhancem

BBC Will Use Mobile Viewpoint's WMT to Realize the Live Broadcast of the Olympic Torch Relay in the UK Utilizing 3G ...

ALKMAAR, The Netherlands, February 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --This spring, starting May 19, the Olympic Torch will be carried in a relay around the UK. The Torch will be carried by different athletes and broadcasted ...

Ericsson, Qualcomm demo 4G-to-3G voice handover

The companies have announced a significant step in making all-IP voice calls viable on LTE phones ( ZDNet UK - Mobile Devices )