Raising the profile of 3G technology<\/p>\n
Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post, Cannes\/France<\/p>\n
Alcatel, the French telecommunications giant, invited three
\nIndonesian journalists, including The Jakarta Post's Kornelius
\nPurba to cover, from Feb. 6 through Feb. 17, the Alcatel Forum
\n2005 in Paris and the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes. Below is a
\nreport of the visit.<\/p>\n
Watching your favorite TV program or film or downloading your
\nfavorite song via your cell phone is closer to becoming a
\nreality.<\/p>\n
That is the impression visitors got during their visit to the
\nfour-day 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, which ended on Feb. 17.<\/p>\n
The theme of the GSM Association (GSMA) congress was to
\nencourage its members to make every effort to maximize the use of
\nthird-generation (3G) GSM, because although the technology has
\nbeen used globally for years, there are still significant
\nbarriers to its full implementation, including tariffs.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, poor infrastructure has been a major obstacle to
\nthe technology's introduction.<\/p>\n
High-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), often described as
\n4G, is able to operate at seven megabytes per second (Mbps) and
\nhas already entered the market, but 3G technology still needs to
\nreach out fully to the global market.<\/p>\n
South Korea is among the most advanced countries now using
\ncellular technology. It has adopted CDMA (Code Division Multiple
\nAccess) 2000 1xEV-DO as its 3G platform.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Japan, which only subsequently matched South
\nKorea's achievement in the cellular field, is using Wide CDMA (W-
\nCDMA). In Southeast Asia, Singapore is the most advanced nation
\nin terms of 3G technology adoption.<\/p>\n
To boost the use of cell phones in developing countries, the
\nassociation has decided to provide six million handsets, each
\ncosting less than US$40, with the expectation that at least 100
\nmillion new users can be reached this year alone.<\/p>\n
India, the Philippines and Indonesia have become the main
\nmarket for low-cost cellular handsets. Motorola has reportedly
\nwon the contract to provide them.<\/p>\n
Taking place at the Palais des Festivals adjacent to the
\nbeach, where the annual Cannes Film Festival is also held, more
\nthan 650 world-class telecommunications companies, including
\nAlcatel, Ericsson, Motorola and Siemens, demonstrated their
\nlatest innovations.<\/p>\n
Mobile operators like Vodafone, French SFR, Japan's NTT DoCoMo
\ncaptivated visitors. Unfortunately, no Indonesian companies
\nparticipated in the exhibition.<\/p>\n
Companies in the fields of applications development,
\napplications service provision, cellular equipment, encryption
\nand security equipment, Internet software and messaging services
\nwere also present.<\/p>\n
Other attractions were Siemens' luxury ship anchored just a
\nfew hundred meters from the exhibition venue, and a mini fashion
\nshow with models wearing itty-bitty bikinis -- a rare sight in
\nwinter months. Meanwhile, Microsoft was holding an interactive
\ndialog with visitors.<\/p>\n
This will be the last time the annual congress is held in
\nCannes, which is now regarded as too small for the event. Next
\nyear, the GSM congress will be held in Barcelona, Spain.<\/p>\n
Alcatel launched its new disruptive technologies innovation,
\nthe mobile next-generation networks (Mobile NGN), which enables
\noperators to cut operating costs and budget overheads.<\/p>\n
Other new products include unlicensed mobile access (UMA),
\nwhich enables users to move seamlessly between GSM or GPRS
\n(general packet radio service) and WiFi (wireless fidelity)
\nhotspots.<\/p>\n
Its new cellular handsets, to be launched later this year,
\nwill enable customers to view Fashion TV. Alcatel and Sony are
\nalso working together to provide music distribution services.<\/p>\n
According to Alcatel vice president for Asia Pacific Mobile
\nMarketing and Business Development Michael Levy, the company
\noperates in three main areas: Mobile radio, the new NGN system
\nand applications like Orange.<\/p>\n
The latest technology enables customers to get live TV and
\nlive news. By using Alcatel's pvNS video streaming software,
\nOrange, a major mobile communications firm, is able to provide
\nvideo and audio services.<\/p>\n
\"You will see a lot of video applications and games. We have
\nbeen operating these with the Orange group. You can get live TV
\nand live news,\" he said.<\/p>\n
This year, fixed mobile convergence will become a top
\npriority. It covers service convergence in fixed and mobile
\nservices, and terminal convergencies, which means using the same
\nterminal when users are at home or outside the home, using
\ncellular or fixed lines.<\/p>\n
There is also network \"convergention\", which mixes fixed and
\nmobile network operating together.<\/p>\n
Another priority is tipple play, which means access to voice,
\nvideo and data. Voice is, of course, conventional telephony,
\nwhile video uses Code Digital Subscriber Line Access Technologies
\nto provide several TV channels, video on demand, and also access
\nto the Internet. There are other new technologies like managed
\ncommunication services.<\/p>\n
\"The next generation of services for operators to make money
\nwill be this kind of service,\" said Levy.<\/p>\n
The ambitious target to boost 3G technology has a strong base.
\nHowever, we must also remember that for many users, including
\nthose in Europe and Asia, voice communication and short-messaging
\nservices (subsequently, medium-messaging services) are more than
\nenough.<\/p>\n
Cost also remains a major issue for users. How to provide
\naffordable 3G services that are still profitable for service
\nproviders?<\/p>\n
Finding an answer to that question must be keeping more than
\none person from a good night's sleep.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/raising-the-profile-of-3g-technology-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}