3G - mobile broadband

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A mobile broadband device (arrows not included).

what is mobile broadband?

Mobile broadband is exactly that - broadband internet over a mobile network. This means that in serviced areas, using a mobile broadband device, you can surf the net from a café, read your email in a park, or maybe check online prices while shopping.

It hooks into the mobile phone networks and uses a technology known as 3G - the latest standard in mobile communications.

Today, mobile broadband is the current "anytime, anywhere" solution -
if you get a 3G mobile signal, you get internet.

how 3G works

3G is the third generation (3rd Generation) of mobile technologies, developed especially to deal with high-speed access, no matter where you are in the world - this extends to phone calls, video calling, Internet access and multimedia entertainment, all in a mobile environment.

This technology is capable of speeds up to 14.4Mbps (although actual speeds depend on broadband device and mobile carrier). For comparison, iiNet broadband1 goes up to 8Mbps, broadband2 gives you up to 12Mbps, and a broadband2+ connection can go beyond 20Mbps.

is 3G secure?

The 3G network is built upon the technology that introduced effective security to the mobile communications world. It began back in the 2G era, with simple authentication and encryption mechanisms to prevent fraud and eavesdropping.

Since then, those mechanisms have improved to increase security and privacy between mobile towers, and the handsets connecting to them. Along with the potential for secure global roaming, this makes 3G as safe as traditional internet.

3G didn't happen overnight, but came about as a result of enhancing previous technologies, then combining their best bits for improved efficiency.

evolution through the G's

0G

CB radios transmit on specific
frequencies through the airwaves.

It all began with the "pre-cellular" age of mobile radio telephones. Think walkie-talkies, briefcase radios and old car phones, transmitting radio signals on specific frequencies through the airwaves.

1G

Remember the old brick phones from the 80s? They were the first generation of mobile telecommunications. 1G improved on the old radio phones by increasing transmission range (so you could talk to someone far away), working with standard mobile telephone lines (so you could call landlines), and making it possible to account for calls (so mobile communication could be a commercially viable option).

As with 0G, calls were still subject to noise and signal interference (ie. getting someone else's phone call in the middle of your conversation). Though it doesn't sound so great by today's standards, 1G laid the foundations for modern mobile capabilities.

2G

Along came 2G in the early 90's and with it, digital encryption of the old 1G signal - that is, packaging up your voice into organised pieces before transmitting them. Right away, this meant better sound quality, less noise and no more eavesdropping. This digital system also used less radio power, requiring less hardware and in turn, smaller phones.

Before 2G, there had been over ten different types of mobile standards, ultimately limiting the public's choice of carrier, choice of handset, and both phone & plan pricing. 2G launched in Australia over the two most efficient standards (GSM and CDMA). Now that carriers and manufacturers had fewer variations to cater for, mobile technology quickly became more accessible and portable.

2G also introduced the ability to send text messages, check emails and surf the web, though in the early days this depended greatly on carriers and handset manufacturers taking the next step in offering this new feature.

2G worked by packaging up an ordinary voice signal into organised pieces before transmitting them, using simple authentication and encryption mechanisms to prevent fraud and eavesdropping.

2.5G and 2.75G

The next step in mobile evolution was 2.5G, upgrading with new technologies GPRS and 1xRTT - faster, cheaper and more efficient ways of emailing and web surfing in a mobile environment.

GPRS was later enhanced to further improve data transmission rates. At this point, it was called EDGE, and marked the 2.75G era. Networks could now support mobile VOIP and video calling, but these features were never adopted by the mainstream.

3G

The 2G era made mobile internet a possibility throughout the world, and the growing demand for multimedia on the move meant that mobile carriers needed a way to deliver bigger chunks of information at higher speeds. Say hello to 3G.

3G didn't happen overnight, but came about as a result of enhancing 2G technologies, then combining their best bits for improved efficiency.

GSM, GPRS, CDMA, 1xEV-DO, UMTS... There are heaps of acronyms in the mix but in short, 3G is our up-to-date collection of mobile standards, all playing nicely together.

mobile broadband in Australia

3G first came to town in 2003, bringing streaming multimedia and video calling to the Australian mobile market. Coverage was limited at first, but as more telcos offered 3G access, we saw more infrastructure and wider availability added to our gamut of mobile technology.

Today, mobile broadband is the current "anytime, anywhere" solution - if you get a 3G mobile signal, you get internet. Speeds range from 300kbps to 3Mbps, and continue to improve as the industry matures.