CNET Australia's quick guide to 3G

By CNET staff on 14 April 2008

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3G glossary

Confused by all the technical jargon and acronyms surrounding 3G? We can't blame you. Here's a quick guide to the terms you'll need to know.

1xEV-DO: Also known as Evolution, Data-Optimised, this subset of CDMA2000 runs on CDMA networks and reaches peak speeds of 2.4Mbps and averages 300Kbps to 600Kbps. As its name implies, EV-DO networks handle only high-speed data; handsets supporting EV-DO would use the underlying CDMA network for voice calls. Telstra is to dismantle its 1xEV-DO service as of April 2008.

1xEV-DV: Also known as Evolution, Data-Voice, 1xEV-DV is the next step in CDMA2000 technology after 1xEV-DO, handling both data and voice calls at speeds up to 2.4Mbps.

1xRTT: A subset of CDMA2000 that runs on CDMA networks, 1xRTT (or Radio Transmission Technology) offers speeds of up to 144Kbps, although users will typically get speeds between 60Kbps and 90Kbps. While 1xRTT is sometimes referred to as 3G technology, it falls a bit short in terms of speed and actually is 2.5G. Telstra currently supports 1xRTT.

AMPS: Advanced Mobile Phone Service, the first-generation, analog cellular network that arrived in Australia in the 1987. It was phase out in favour of digital networks and fully closed in 2000. Telstra replaced the AMPS network with a CDMA network, which in turn has been replaced by the W-CDMA Next G network.

CDMA: Code-Division Multiple Access, a 2G digital cellular network first launched in 1999 to replace the analog AMPS network. Nevertheless, the unchallenged leader in Australia continues to be GSM.

CDMA2000: The next step in CDMA technology, CDMA2000 comprises 1xRTT (2.5G), 1xEV-DO, and 1xEV-DV (both 3G).

EDGE: Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (or Enhanced Data GSM Environment), a 2.5G enhancement for GSM with a theoretical top speed of 200Kbps, although real-world speeds will be closer to 90Kbps.

GPRS: An upgrade for GSM networks, General Packet Radio Service is a 2.5G technology that bumps data speeds up to 50Kbps, although real-world speeds are closer to 30Kbps and 40Kbps.

GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications. This 2G (about 9.6Kbps) digital network is most pervasive in non-US markets, including Australia.

HSDPA: An enhancement for 3G UMTS networks, High Speed Downlink Packet Access promises bone-rattling speeds of up to 14.4Mbps, compared to a "mere" top speed of 2Mbps for UMTS. All the major mobile carriers offer HSDPA services in the major cities in Australia.

LTE: Long Term Evolution is the broad title given to the next generation of technology to upgrade the UMTS mobile technology standard. This is seen as a 4G technology. Experiments using variations of LTE have seen results ranging from between 100-200Mbps up to an astounding 1Gbps.

TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access, the original digital technology on which GSM is based.

UMTS: Universal Mobile Telephone Service, with W-CDMA as its underlying technology, is the 3G service that all four major carriers in Australia (3, Optus, Telstra and Vodafone) support. UMTS boasts speeds of up to 2Mbps, although users will typically see speeds in the 300Kbps-to-400Kbps range.

WiBro: Short for Wireless Broadband, a wireless technology developed and in use in South Korea. WiBro offers data speeds to mobile devices of up to 30-50Mbps over distances of 1-5kms from base stations.

WiMax: A high-performance version of Wi-Fi, WiMax (or 802.16) networks would offer the bandwidth of Wi-Fi at ranges measured in miles rather than feet. Many industry observers feel that WiMax could be the cornerstone of 4G wireless networks, boasting speeds rivaling those of wired gigabit Ethernet networks.

Jeremy Roche and Ben Patterson from CNET.com.au contributed to this article.

Topics: mobile, coverage, 3g, optus, video, 3, service, phone, hutchison, vodafone, telstra, plans

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Comments (15)

  • s commented on 30/07/2009 18:05 Report abuse

    I was in warwick qld and i got better coverage on the yes g 900mhz than in brisbane with optus 2100mhz 3g and i woudn't be the first person to say this is to update towers in the major citys to run 2100mhz/900mhz on the same tower or use all the 900mhz frequencys on the network for umts and use 1800mhz for gsmand if vodafone ran 2100mhz/900mhz side by side i would switch to vodafone and it would help in the peek times of the day and it would be interstring if telstra went to 850mhz/900mhz side by side for next g and use 1800mhz for gsm and it would help travelers with roaming into australia on there phones

  • ay-non-nee-mouse commented on 22/04/2009 15:05 Report abuse

    Please could someone tell me how 3G hsa improved on 2G technology - project

  • quietachievers commented on 12/01/2009 18:56 Report abuse

    Mobile rollouts. Its full of contradictions. Different perspectives exist depending on where you sit. I don't want to bore you with too much info but to cover a few they are 1) the frequency spectrum each Telco purchased at huge cost from the govt sets boundaries. eg just like free to air TV ch10 cant transmit on ch 7 frequency. 2) each frequency has physics lower freq 850 or 900Mhz go further higher freqs 2100Mhz are attenuated and dont travel as far. 3) You have limits on number of customers the freq can hold in a geographical area, then you use a different freq in same area to allocate more customers. eg GSM 900 used first, then GSM1800 overlaid. 4) the planning cycle to develop an annual budget is slower than the realities in the market and what competitors do. 5) Snr mgmt have to sign off on the hundreds of millions required in the annual budgets. 6) Governance doesn't allow you to just alter the agreed objectives despite market shifts. 7) Aus population is 1/10th the USA so comparing prices is foolish. 8) there is a constant opposing tension between where the base station ought to be from engineering models and the realities of council and residents objections. 9) those realities lead to base stations costing more than planned/justifying that variation and taking longer. This is why black spots exist as well as geographical issues such as hills, buildings. The you get a vendor telling fibs about their equipment capabilities, marketing who live in a different dimension, contractors fib about their capabilities, handset supply challenges, revenue forecasts that aren't met, supply demand changes in contractor availability, weather that affect rollout schedules, record inconsistencies from previous rollouts. Thats probably enough for now as there is another 20 or so challenges. My point is that if your a customer little of the above matters so ignorance is bliss. The people doing this in each Telco are pretty amazing. We could always do better.

  • Arthur Beresford commented on 14/12/2008 22:22 Report abuse

    What company handles 3G connections and accounts
    Is it exclusive to TELSTRA

  • Moleman commented on 01/10/2008 13:46 Report abuse

    I live in a 3G zone, but am in the need of mobile internet access, not interested in today's cost though, if it was to be resonalble like the US market, I'd be very happy.

  • THECAT commented on 06/07/2008 23:41 Report abuse

    IF A PHONE IS UNLOCK TO ALL 900MHZ TO 1800MHZ WILL THIS WORK IN AUSTRALAN PERTH CBD DONT CARE ABOUT WEB ECT JUST NEED TO MAKE CALLS

  • Martin commented on 06/07/2008 16:51 Report abuse

    John: You might be better off with a 2-way that neatly fits in your flannelette shirt pocket. Technology moves on. Get over it. Clearly you like technology enough to use the internet. How about you stop whining and buy a sat phone if you're so worried about coverage, then you wouldn't have to wait for "black spots" to be filled where nobody actually lives and where taxpayers have to fund putting in a base station for idiots like you when there is no sound business case for doing so. If you don't like being remote, don't live there.

  • <a href=http://www.set-phones.net/BenQ-Siemens-EL71.html>benq-siemens el71</a> commented on 13/05/2008 00:30 Report abuse

    I always on journey for my business purpose. I want to take some info about this 3g technology for my business. In this article i found my answers. Thanks for your this great and beneficial information about 3g.

  • John commented on 30/01/2008 20:38 Report abuse

    Old analog phones worked everywhere...but some people were worried someone might listen in on thier phone calls, so we had digital forced on us. CDMA was supposed to fix all the black spots. Now we are having 3G forced upon us so some trendy people can make video calls and search the web at an inner city coffee shop...make up your minds, and remember people do live out in the bush and need phones too......

  • wwongalea commented on 25/09/2007 15:15 Report abuse

    Telstra keeps sending information on Next G phones which have no reseption where we live. Please dont contact us again until you have a phone that will work where we live B Beaumont

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