My 3G Experience and the future of 3G
I have been waiting for 3G Services since a very long time and it was about 2
years ago, MTNL(Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited) announced the commencement.
The handset I had owned during that period thankfully was a 3G ready one and fortunately enough I also happen to have a MTNL GSM SIM card.
The MTNL 3G services initially only covered certain selected areas of Mumbai. Covering Navi Mumbai was a far cry. So, I had to wait for the D-Day. Meanwhile, whenever I had opportunity to travel to Mumbai for a day, I quickly grabbed the opportunity to make the most of 3G coverage and browse the mobile internet at blistering speeds.
The handset I had owned during that period thankfully was a 3G ready one and fortunately enough I also happen to have a MTNL GSM SIM card.
The MTNL 3G services initially only covered certain selected areas of Mumbai. Covering Navi Mumbai was a far cry. So, I had to wait for the D-Day. Meanwhile, whenever I had opportunity to travel to Mumbai for a day, I quickly grabbed the opportunity to make the most of 3G coverage and browse the mobile internet at blistering speeds.
A year later, even Navi Mumbai also was privileged to have MTNL 3G coverage and again in selected areas.
It is now that even Navi Mumbai has complete 3G coverage.
Meanwhile, Big GSM private players such as Vodafone, Airtel also commenced with their 3G operations covering entire Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
- 1. Activation & Deactivation of 3G Services - Depending on the operator, and the class of service(Postpaid or Prepaid) one could activate 3G on their 3G enabled handset and you are ready to go.
For your convenience, these are the links to the popular GSM networks 3G services page.
a. MTNL- 3G Jadoo -http://www.mtnlmumbai.in/index.php/mobile/3g-services
b. Vodafone, Mumbai - http://www.vodafone.in/3gworld/pages/3g_serivces.aspx?slide=1&cid=mum
c. Airtel, Mumbai -http://www.airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/airtel3g/Airtel3G/3G-Services/
2. Mobile Applications which run on a 3G backend3. Blackberry Services on 3G - Your Blackberry mails download much faster and also the heavy attachments open much faster to give you a comfortable experience. No more struggling opening a heavy attachment which your friend had sent you.4. Types of 3G - Little did I realise that 3G speeds are same across various handsets, but after a little for research I realised that depending on the model of your handset, your 3G experience would vary. The HSPA(Fast 3G) handsets come with a variety of speed options from 3.6 Mbps to 21 Mbps. The more popular ones are those handsets with 7.2 Mbps.5. Cost of 3G Service - As always, any new technology or service when it is new comes with an expensive price tag and in this case it is the same. But, the GSM operators have been kind enough to let experience the discerning customers for as low as Rs.10/- for a 10MB pack. The cost varies depending on the volume of the 3G data pack and validity.
6. 3G coverage– A Reality Check
a. Inhouse mobile signal boosters are not 3G enabled. - GSM Operators have been also installing mobile signal boosters to enhance coverage in the entire building. The 2G coverage is great but they somehow forget to enable these boosters with 3G bandwidth. In this case a 3G consumer would not be able to avail of 3G services and be deprived of 3G experience.
b. Certain areas yet to be 3G enabled : Many areas still as on date are not covered with 3G signals or not stabilized 3G signals. The 3G network keeps appearing and disappearing.
7. TV on Mobile – One of the best features of having 3G services is Live TV. Now, with a 3G handset and Live TV connection, its possible to view a variety of channels at a click of few buttons, where ever their is 3G connectivity. This service only costs Rs.7/- a day for over 50 channels. A small Live TV application needs to be downloaded and you are already on your way to experience Live TV.
On Vodafone TV - To activate just sms "TV" to 111. Download the Live tv app by clicking the download app link received via sms.
8. Tethering on 3G – Its now possible to enjoy high speed browsing on your laptop/desktop by simply connecting your handset to your PC via usb data cable/bluetooth. Whats more if your smart phone allows hot spot creation its possible for your friends also to enjoy 3G high speed browsing on their respective connected PC/laptops.
9. USB 3G Dongles - The 3G USB dongle just costs under Rs.1000/- and its now possible to enjoy 3G broadband speeds upto 21 Mbps(Depends on the hardware) on the go.
10. GSM(3G) Vs CDMA Broadband - CDMA Broadband is only limited to a maximum speed of 3.1 Mbps where as HSPA 3G starts with a speed of 3.6 Mbps and has downloading capabilities upto 21 Mbps. The GSM 3G is a clear winner in terms of speed.
11. The Future of 3G ( What I Foresee) - Current, 3G data packs are expensive and because of the broad bandwidth the data gets exhausted in no time. Very soon data packs would be made available at the same price point and also I see unlimited packs featuring soon the the 3G services menu. Other Internet connectivity options will see a lot of competition in this front and the consumer is going to be immensely benefited.
Enjoy the 3G Experience. Please feel free to call me on +91-9004222919 or mail me on sbokde@gmail.com for any further queries.
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