3G What's the story?

By: Aidan Jennings

We've all heard about it but when exactly will it be available and why is there so much hype about it?

The need for Third Generation (3G) mobile communication is best described in terms of the mobility and bandwidth that it offers. Fixed networks offer low mobility but with high bandwidth, 2G mobile networks offer high mobility but low bandwidth, GPRS (2.5G) vastly improved this with data rates of up to 56Kbs (the same as an ordinary modem connection) but 3G will offer far superior data rates of up to 2Mbs for indoor users and 384Kbs for pedestrians. 3G basically combines the best of both worlds offering high mobility while also offering high bandwidth. Unlike the current technology, the main focus of which is on voice communication, 3G allows people to talk to a friend, watch a video clip, or surf the Internet - simultaneously - and all from one portable multimedia device. The applications for 3G mobile phones are almost as endless as those a user on a fixed network enjoys, all while on the move.

So who are the major 3G players in Ireland and when can we get our hands on the new phones?
The Irish government offered a total of four licenses to provide 3G services in Ireland.

Infortunately only three of these licenses were issued due to lack of applicants. Two different classes of licenses were tendered, a type A license and a type B license. The A licensee is required to achieve 53% demographic coverage by end of December 2005 and 80% demographic coverage by end of December 2007. The B Licensee is required to achieve 33% demographic coverage by the end of June 2006 and 53% by the end of June 2008. These licenses were awarded in June 2002 with O2 and Vodafone being awarded B licenses and newcomer to the Irish market, Hutchison Whampoa being awarded the A license.
On the 1st May 2003, Vodafone opened Irelands first 3G network and made the country's first commercial call. The 3G service, which is initially being opened to a number of key business partners, provides superior data speeds of up to 144Kbps, which will enable faster downloads and enhanced voice capacity, the full 2Mbps is not expected to be available, due to cost restrictions, until there is a mass market demand. The network was opened with a limited number of Nokia 6650 handsets, further handsets are expected to become available later on this year and throughout 2004. It is expected that within 18 to 24 months that 3G services will be widely available.

O2 have been approaching the development of 3G mobile with much more caution than Vodafone and it is now believed they will opt for slower Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Environment (EDGE) technology in the rollout of 3G as opposed to WCDMA, which is Vodafone's technology of choice. O2 could save up to 80pc of the rollout costs of next generation mobile telephony if they use EDGE. While EDGE is five times faster than currently available 2G mobile technologies it is still four times slower than WCDMA.

In March/April 2003, full 3G services arrived in Italy, the United Kingdom and Australia, courtesy of Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa. Hutchison, under its brand name 3, plans for a multiple-country launch this year that has started with Sweden and Austria in May, and they have said that Denmark and Ireland will soon follow. It remains to be seen if this promise is fulfilled but one thing for sure is that 3G is coming, and while the cost will initially deter people it will eventually become far more popular than 2G mobile technology.