Mobile phones have ceased to be just toys for the wealthy; they have quickly become an indispensable part of everyday life. Regardless of whether they are used for talking to friends or conducting business, mobile phones have influenced a change in people’s lifestyles. Nowadays, it is hard to walk the streets of Kuala Lumpur without seeing Malaysians talking on their phones or texting. From just 2.15 million in 1998, the number of mobile users grew to over 15.8 million in 2005. This represents a significant percentage of users, considering that the population of Malaysia is only 26 million.
What is 3G?
3G technology, or Third Generation mobile phones, was introduced in Malaysia as an advanced way of communicating with others, enriched with options never before available. Using 3G, users can talk to each other literally “face to face” using video conferencing; they can also watch short video clips and live television, download music, send messages containing video files, connect to cameras that show real-time traffic conditions, and connect to broadband Internet. 3G is much faster than earlier technologies such as GSM or GPRS. Currently in Malaysia, mobile network transmission speeds reach up to 384 kbps (kilobits per second), but will soon reach even 2 Mbps (megabits per second).
The article comes from the magazine “e-Fakty” 5/2005.