What is 3G?

To understand what 3G or the third generation of phone signal is, it is best to get some context.

When mobile phones first came about they were connected to a network with an analogue signal. This is something like the network older radios have, as opposed to digital ones and was the first generation of mobile phone network, or could be known as 1G.

The next generation of network came in the mid-1990s and was known as 2G or the second generation of network. The main difference between 2G and 1G is that 2G is a digital network and offered a better network to users.

This was then periodically replaced by something known as EDGE or 2.5G. EDGE as it is known was an intermediary network that bridged the gap between the older networks and the 3G networks we are familiar with today.

3G

The third generation of network came into existence when Hutchinson began offering the service to customers in 2003. The service provided increased network speeds and the opportunity to download at a substantially faster speed than ever before.

This new service meant it was now possible to engage in video calls, browse the web at speed and watch mobile TV. It essentially paved the way for the online phones or smartphones we know and love today. It also meant that mobile broadband from dongles was now a reality and allows people to plug a USB dongle into their computer to connect to the Internet on the go, or in areas without fixed broadband.

Initially the service was tried out by Three on its best mobile phones, before all networks began to use the service shortly afterwards. The eventuality of cheap mobiles then saw this 3G technology come to almost all phones.

HSPA & 4G

Though not upon us yet, 4G is the next big leap in connectivity and will make for significantly increased speeds again.

Currently, some mobile phone operators provide HSPA on some mobile phone in Ireland. This is essentially the go between for 3G and 4G and is that bit faster than the former network. Known as High Speed Download Packet Access, it allows users to download at up to 14mb a second - 3G initially allowed speeds of 2mb a second. This is up to seven times the speed, which is noticeable when browsing in good areas. There are currently a number of mobile phone deals which have phones that are capable of reaching these speeds.

It is thought that 4G will start being rolled out in the next two years or so. This will allow significant speed improvements again and is even expected to be faster than home broadband. However, hold your horses as though it will be rolled out, it doesn't necessarily mean it will have nationwide availability for some time yet.

Between now and then the best mobile phones in Ireland will come with 3G and HSPA connections allowing you the chance to easily browse the Internet, play games and listen to music online.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

The Article is written by Cormac Reynolds at www. MobilePhoneDeals.ie which lists and compares mobile phone deals and mobile broadband deals in Ireland. Compare O2 Mobile Phones, Vodafone Mobile Deals, Meteor.ie Mobile Phones and Three.ie Deals. Visit http://www.MobilePhoneDeals.ie for more information. Copyright information. This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety, including live links & this copyright statement must be included.