re: Korea 2G to 2.5G to 3G
>> As With Any Revolution, There Will Be Disruptions
Ser Myo-ja
Korea Tribune
May 21, 2001
The wait is almost over - Korean mobile phone users will soon be able to use the next generation mobile communication services seen so far only on TV commercials. The first version of the next technology, cdma-2000 1x, will deliver as much as 144 kilobits per second, or Kbps, of throughput, enabling users to transmit data more than two times as fast as the previous top speed of 64 Kbps. Sometimes called 2.5-generation, or 2.5G, the technology is a stepping-stone from from the current second generation stage to IMT-2000, or third-generation multimedia mobile communications.
Although mobile providers are finishing their pricing policies and communication networks and are offering new phones sporting color displays, there is a lack of multimedia contents available. But basic services will begin to be offered by the end of this month, industry insiders said.
The new service could trigger a revolution in mobile Internet uses. With lightning-fast data transmission, users will be able to access even motion pictures, besides the usual Web functions.
To win the new market, mobile phone companies are racing to develop unique services. The plans of SK Telecom, Korea Telecom Freetel and LG Telecom focus on the ability to download movies, songs and music videos, catch the news, get stock updates and play games.
Here is the catch: to get all the benefits of the 2.5G technology, users will have to buy new phones. LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics are already selling new cdma-2000 1x phones supporting color displays. Prices vary, but phones with black and white displays cost at least 100,000 won ($77) more than old-technology cell phones of similar size and features. Topnotch models supporting moving images with color displays will cost about 200,000 won more.
Pricing policies will also be different, as users will be charged rates based on the data package unit (512 bits), not time spent online. Mobile phone firms had billed based on 10-second intervals. To illustrate, downloading a short pop song costs 220 won based on time, but 150 won based on data transmitted using the new network.
Not all areas of Korea will be able to use the new service, though. As service areas will vary by provider, users should check in advance before buying new phones and signing up for service. Starting in July, SK's service will cover 81 cities nationwide. All three operators will determine the scope of their networks by the end of this year.
Still, the cdma-2000 1x service will need to be improved to keep users satisfied, analysts say. Disconnections will be more frequent than with today's phones, insiders warn, as users who travel will find themselves straying out of service areas. <<
and ...
From Analog to Digital, Data Moves Faster, Progress Quickens
by Park Sung-woo
May 21, 2001
Korea Herald Tribune
As the introduction of third-generation, or 3G, mobile phone services nears, it may be instructive to take a look back at how much progress has been made in wireless technology and where the technology is headed, particularly in Korea.
Second-generation services now in use began in 1996 with the development of code division multiple access technology. Before that, an analog system was used that sent data at less than 300 bits per second, only 188th the speed of a fixed line modem's 56.6 kilobits per second. Communication services beyond basic speech were just a dream.
There are two main CDMA technologies being used in Korea: IS-95A and IS-95B, which transfer data at 14.4 Kbps and 64 Kbps. A next step, IS-95C, introduced last fall, speeds data along at 144 Kbps. This "2.5-generation technology" can provide multimedia services.
The start of commercial 3G services in Korea is scheduled for next May. The technology promises faster connections and the capacity for videoconferencing, secure online banking and other advanced wireless functions. Data transmission will be 144 Kbps in a moving car, 384 Kbps while walking and 2 megabits per second when stationary.
Fourth-generation services may begin sometime around 2006. The speed of this technology - 20 Mbps - would be double the high-speed Web connections now provided to Korean households.
But experts say it is hard to predict when and at what speed new technologies will become available. Progress is being made so fast, they say, and technologies that do not fit into the pre-established categorization are mushrooming.
Such breakthroughs include High Data Rate, a 2.4 Mbps technology by Qualcomm, and XTREME, a 5.1 Mbps technology being developed at Motorola and Nokia. Korea Telecom has adopted HDR, which transmits faster than 3G services but provides no phone services. <<
- Eric - |
