Mobile Internet access

On this page we explore the various types of mobile Internet access available. Typically these services are availble through mobile phone operators and while most are widely available on a country basis it is worth checking with your operator on International availability and use of equipment across geographic boarders.

Nokia 9210 Communicator

				GPRS

With GPRS you are able to access email and the Internet from a phone or from a laptop or PDA using your phone, while maintaining a constant connection. The peak data transfer speeds range from 26kbps - 52kbps depending on the hardware used.

Examples of applications that require or are suited to GPRS include:

- Sending and receiving email. Large attachments may download more slowly than text-only email.

- Internet browsing

As you will be connected with GPRS for long periods of time, you are generally only charged for the information transferred. You can add a GPRS bundle to your existing Service Plan.

One megabyte = 500 wap pages = 20 web pages = 25 emails with a one page document attached = one emailwith a powerpoint presentation attached.

				HSCSD

High Speed Circuit Switched Data gives the user a dedicated circuit, or circuits, assigned to the data call being made. This ensures that there is a predictable high speed data rate to support the application being used.

This feature makes the technology ideal for supporting applications like high speed mobile internet, LAN access and high speed real time data applications like video conferencing. HSCSD provides data speeds of up to 28.8kbps, considerably faster than the 9.6kbps offered by standard circuit switched data technology.

HSCSD is intended for the user who wants dedicated bandwidth, for example for immediate file transfer, while GPRS will suit those users who don't require such time critical services. While supporting a wide range of applications, HSCSD chiefly differs from the other technology platforms in its ability to support high speed real time data. A characteristic of circuit switched technology is that equal bit rates are allocated to both the uplink and downlink connections - a symmetrical service.

HSCSD technology, which was fully approved by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) in 1997, employs a proven channel-coding scheme that increases the channel bit rate from the existing 9.6kbps to 14.4kbps. HSCSD also allows the combining of channels to enable data rates in multiples of 9.6kbps or 14.4kbps. This results in users being able to obtain mobile data rates ranging from 9.6kbps to 28.8kbps, comparable to one ISDN B-channel offered by fixed telecom operators.

The allocation of additional channels is reliant on the GSM operator having sufficient network capacity to support the manner in which HSCSD operates. Operators that are using the 1800MHz frequency band, such as Orange, have a potential advantage over those using the more constrained 900MHz band by being able to offer significantly more channels.

				The Future - UMTS or 3rd Generation Services (3G)

UMTS, or 3G services will require a completely new communications technology to be deployed by GSM operators. To allow for this new technology, also labelled W-CDMA, the 2GHz frequency band has been allocated, which will provide sufficient spectrum for the services to be fully exploited.

For example, one 5MHz UMTS carrier will be able to handle mixed services, ranging in speed from 8kbps to 384kbps or faster, while UMTS terminals will be able to access several different services simultaneously. Orange won its UMTS licence in April 2000.

Prior to the arrival of 3G, it is expected that a growing number of GSM operators in Western Europe will deploy high speed data services based upon HSCSD and/or GPRS over the next three years. The remainder, who probably have low penetration rates, are unlikely to invest in either technology and will await the arrival of 3G in around 2003.

For the majority of operators, 3G must be considered as a strategic option, assuming they have been granted a licence by their national regulator, to offer comprehensive multimedia services to mobile customers.

When 3G becomes available, operators and users will experience a radically enhanced experience:

• Support for both packet and circuit switched services at enhanced data rates
• Variable and high-speed data rates up to 384kbps and faster
• Multiple simultaneous services in each mobile terminal
• Up to eight times more traffic per carrier compared to existing systems
• Enhanced international roaming

3G technology will also introduce other improvements to the functionality of the overall system, primarily aimed at increasing capacity. These include:

• Support for adaptive antenna arrays, which will optimise the antenna pattern for each individual mobile device
• Support for multi-user detection, which will eliminate interference within a cell and improve quality

If 3G is initially only deployed in high usage 'hot spots', then it will need to co-exist with other mobile technologies to provide users with a good experience. 3G has been designed to support environments that employ a new handover method to allow 3G to inter operate within existing 2G networks.

This particular feature will provide users with an identical or similar user experience when they are roaming compared to when they are in their home network. There are handover mechanisms inherently available within the 3G specification which support handover between 2G and 3G networks.

				Bluetooth

Bluetooth is not to be confused with the technology used to connect a mobile phone to the phone network, instead, bluetooth is a technology that enables your phone to communicate with other devices, such as laptop computers and printers.

When Bluetooth is activated on your phone, it emits radio waves around the phone which sense any other Bluetooth devices in the vicinity. Because Bluetooth acts in all directions, unlike infrared, the devices don't need to be in alignment. The radio connection acts like an invisible wire.

Bluetooth eliminates the need for troublesome cable attachments. Your office peripherals can be connected without wires, including computers with printers, scanners and fax machines. Information stored in handheld devices is also accessible from other Bluetooth-enabled devices without connecting them by cable.

Content reproduced with kind permission of Orange UK.