Mobile devices Toolkit

The Road to 3G

ZDNet UK ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 23 Aug 2000 15:02 BST

3G mobile networks are just around the corner. With the promise of enough bandwidth to support video, seamless global roaming for voice and data, fast, low-powered computer processsing onboard, and an explosion of content and commerce sites, the 3G mobile revolution has the potential to dwarf the Internet in terms of its reach into the mass market.

We're off to see the future!
Wed, 23 Aug With companies still working on 3G standards, other technologies like GPRS and Edge will provide faster connections in the meantime.

It's a standards thing
Wed, 23 Aug Edge and GPRS could be "poor-man's" alternatives to UMTS, providing more bandwidth than GSM. Unfortunately, supporting several standards could make 3G mobiles bigger and more costly than their WAP counterparts.

What's the payoff?
Wed, 23 Aug Acquiring licences and building networks doesn't come cheap, and the operators will need to make that money back somehow. ZDNet examines the issues.

The next dot-com stock-rush?
Wed, 23 Aug With all this money sloshing around, some people will strike it rich. Will it be the operators or the service providers?

What will 3G mean to you?
Wed, 23 Aug 3G phones? We've got 'em! Latest details and pictures of the funky gadgets you'll be gagging for in only a couple of years

Will 3G devices be secure?
Wed, 23 Aug Will Knight looks at the inevitable security risks of 3G technology

Take a look at ZDNet's 3G concept devices gallery.

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