3G(3rd Generation) is going to be the next revolution in the communication arena in India. So it’s important that non techie mobile users in India must understand the advantages and features of 3G.
This article is written in the simplest way possible to educate the common man about 3G . If you have any questions/suggestions, feel free to send me an email.
What is 3G in simple words?
3G is a family of standards for mobile telecommunications which includes Services like wide-area wireless voice telephone, video calls, and wireless data, all in a mobile environment. 3G allows simultaneous use of speech and data services and higher data rates up to 14.0 Mbit/s on the downlink and 5.8 Mbit/s on the uplink (These speeds are not standard and may vary depending on the providers). This means you can watch TV , talk to your buddies via Skype, watch streaming high quality videos, attend a video conference on your mobile phone without experiencing time delay even while you are travelling!
3G Video Conferencing
Is 3G something New?
Not at all! The first commercial release of 3G was by NTT DoCoMo in Japan in October 2001. This technology is very common in developed countries like America, Australia, UK and other European Countries.
3G service was first provided in India by MTNL(Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) in 2008 and BSL started providing 3G in Feb 2010.India is far behind in the 3G race as the 3G spectrum auction is going to be conducted for private players on April 9th 2010 by Govt. Of India. So by end of 2010 3G is going to be very common in India.
As of today there are 500million+ 3G users worldwide.
To use 3G services, do I need to buy a new phone?
Yes, if your current phone is not 3G compatible. These are some of the phones which are 3G compatible and now available in India:
Nokia N95,Nokia N96 ,Nokia N82 , E71, E72
If you are looking for cheaper Nokia handsets which can give provide you a 3G experience, then you can have a look at the following handsets:
Nokia N73 ,Nokia 3120 Classic ,Samsung SGH J800 ,Samsung TouchWiz ,Samsung Innov8
Sony Ericsson Xperia ,Sony Ericsson
Other 3G compatible Sony Ericsson handsets are Sony Ericsson G700, G900, K530i, K610i, K660i, M600i and P990i.
Almost all HTC phones support 3G.
To see a complete list of 3G phones available in India, click this link.
How do I know whether my current phone is 3G compatible or not?
Turn on your phone and look at the top when you have service, it should say either: E or 3G. If you cant find these, go to www.Ebay.Inand search for your phone model and check the features list.
I am not a hifi mobile user. Do I need to go for a 3G compatible phone when I change my phone next time ?
I would say yes. The possibilities of 3G is infinite! Wont you use 3G if you can make free/cheap international calls via skype using your mobile phone ? The answer is yes and that could be the best reason for you to go for a 3G phone. Now a days 3G phones are quite cheap too.. Today, you can buy a 3G for as low as 4700Rs! We need to wait and watch if the govt. will allow 2 way VOIP over 3G which might make thousands of BSNL employees jobless!
I want to try 3G Now. Does BSNL provides 3G?
Yes , BSNL started offering 3G from Feb 2010 in selected cities. You can find the Tariff details here: http://www.bsnl.co.in/service/3G/3G_files/3g.htm. The upload rate of BSNL is kept very low to make 2 way Voice telephony not feasible.
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em0bvWHyaYw
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