3G
1. 3G – FLINTSONE TO JETSON
By Don Sherwood
If you are a wireless investor you are by now familiar with the concept of
Third Generation (3G) wireless technology. At a minimum, you are aware of
the exorbitant costs service providers are paying governments for the
right to provide 3G services. However, what you may not know is what
these services are and how they may impact your life.
The current state of Wireless 3G technology is similar to the early
1970’s, when the computer’s potential seemed limitless, yet applications
beyond Pong were hard to imagine. Today, 3G technology is clear. But
exactly what consumers might pay for, how much they’ll pay for it, and
what they’ll want, are all undecided.
Although no one can predict the future, we offer the following
possibilities:
-- Increased capacity for voice subscribers. This is important for
service providers, but what’s the big deal for you and me? One word,
cost. It has been suggested that in the future, voice transmissions will
be free. The big nut is data.
-- Speed. Data will travel via wireless connections faster than the
high-speed landlocked Internet connections of today.
-- E-mail. Instead of simply sending and receiving text messages, users
will be able to attach files like an Excel spreadsheet or a video.
-- Synchronize. Bluetooth technology gives business travelers the ability
to synchronize their laptops, phones, and Personal Digital Assistants
(i.e., Palm) with their business networks quickly and easily.
-- E-commerce. Go to an electronics store, find a TV, enter the brand and
model into your wireless device, search for the best price in your area
and go to the store where you found the best deal, or order the product
online.
-- Audio and Video. Listen to your favorite radio station from any place
in the world. Play videogames against opponents on another continent.
-- Location-based services. Travelers will get information on hotels,
restaurants, hospitals, weather, and movies customized for their precise
location.
-- Infotainment. See actual video of home runs or touchdowns and your
team’s plays of the day. Get real-time alerts on stocks.
-- Short Message Service (SMS). Write your child a message to let them
know that the neighbor will pick them up. Store an alert for them to
confirm their safe arrival.
-- Global Positioning services (GPS). Customized service depending on
your location. Area-specific news and entertainment options. Emergency
tracking capabilities (think of kidnapped children being tracked).
-- Smart Buildings. Employees will wear a wireless device connecting them
to a wireless network, and GPS technology will allow the network to know
where they are at all times. If they get a phone call, the phone near
them would ring (yes, its like The Matrix). When they sit down at a
computer their information would pop up on the screen.
Today, we find it hard to imagine these services given the small screens
and limited technology available in most mobile phones. However, other
devices will soon materialize. AT&T labs have a kit that includes several
device models specifically designed for advanced 3G services. For
example, the kit might involve a compact disc-sized device that includes a
compass, video camera, microphone and a link to the GPS system. Using GPS
technology, the device would register its location when pointed at a
landmark like the Statue of Liberty. The device would then download
information about the site. Users could then take pictures of the spot
and upload them to a Web site so family and friends can virtually join
them on vacation. Don’t want to join your family on vacation? Think of
the business applications (Real Estate, Insurance, Contractors, Academia,
etc.).
Another idea is a badge similar to those worn by “Star Trek” commanders.
The badge would include a microphone and camera with a wide-angle lens.
Images and audio would be location and time stamped and uploaded to a Web
site. Imagine having handshake agreements documented for contract
purposes.
As mentioned in an earlier report, voice commands and voice portals will
eliminate the need for a keyboard.
After taking a look at the wide range of possible uses, it is no doubt
clear why analyst’s predictions call for a 600%+ increase in worldwide 3G
phones -- to 322 million phones in 2004, up from 52 million by the end of
2001. Mr. Flintstone, meet Mr. Jetson.
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