3g Phones

Types of 3G Phones Services


There are two main flavors of 3G mobile phones: UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Service), which is rolled out over existing GSM networks, and CDMA2000, which brings 3G cell phone speeds to CDMA networks; for a detailed explanation of terms, see the glossary. Both UMTS and CDMA2000–which has two high-speed offshoots, the data-only 1xEV-DO and the voice-plus-data 1xEV-DV–are already available in major cities and select suburban areas with further expansion set for the future. Speeds for both should be about DSL level. AT&T has also launched a 3.5G speed network in 2006 dubbed HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), which starts off at around 1.8Mbps and can theoretically get speeds of up to a blistering 14.4Mbps.


Of course, you’ll need a 3G-capable phone to use one of the new high-speed networks. After a slow start, a wide assortment of 3G handsets is now available from the carriers. All the mobiles offer support for the new 3G networks, and they come in a variety of styles.
he AT&T Tilt

Laptop users also can take advantage of 3G networks for on-the-go broadband without a Wi-Fi network; all you need is a carrier-supplied PC Card. There are PC cards for both EV-DO and HSDPA networks.