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> wi-fi or 3g?
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On 2004-11-30 09:17:48, senninha wrote:
where did you read that? all the articles i've read have been quoting the telcos as asking the NTC to push the licensing auctions out for 2 more years since they don't believe that 3G is viable yet in the country.
with the very high costs of setting up the network, i'd have to say that i fully agree with them. in fact, if i had to guess, i'd say that i don't think that their GPRS networks are even being fully exploited yet.
I totally agree with you. Considering that 95% of Globe and Smart's income comes from the C & D markets, with SMS being their primary source of income... 3G isn't exactly a smart choice. IMO 3G is already dead. With the incompatibility between networks, high handset prices, limited handset models, short battery life, limited features in 3G handsets, and no real advantage to the masses... a lot of people are banking on 4G (or whatever they'll call it) instead.
I'm personally not too excited about 3G since it doesn't seem to offer anything more than fast internet... gee... wow... I mean, I know I'd be considered as having an internet addiction and all.. but even then. 3G isn't all they TRIED to market it to be.
Julio, one thing is for sure... WiFi will ALWAYS be a lot cheaper than GPRS/EDGE/3G. Mobile networks will always charge per KB... so think of it this way... the faster the access... the more you pay per second. If all you do it surf regular websites...and download email w/ no attachments... GPRS/EDGE is practical enough. GPRS is fast enough to use the Yahoo webcam (yes I've tried it).
Even if Smart rolls out 3G next year... I can guarantee you that their coverage will be worse than Sun Cellular's for the first year or two... so getting a 3G handset next year would be kinda impractical.
_________________
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not
sure about the former"
Albert Einstein
[ This Message was edited by: jplacson on 2004-12-05 04:23 ]
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Posted: 2004-12-05 05:16:41
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I agree with ResidentEvil & Jplacson. My recommendation is, go WiFi/GPRS. The GPRS networks are tested & more matured, & WiFi can always serve as ur preffered connection where hotspots are available.
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Posted: 2004-12-05 06:18:00
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so what will 4g offer?
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Posted: 2004-12-05 07:51:00
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@Nature
Take a look at
this site, they have a 4G section.
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Posted: 2004-12-05 18:25:13
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in the end, it all comes down to value. and in terms of getting your money's worth, its definitely wi-fi.
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Posted: 2004-12-05 18:35:02
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The down fall of 3G is that EVERYONE is trying to say "We've got the best 3G standard" ... they totally missed the core essence of why GSM was such a HUGE success over the 'technically superior' CDMA.
To a certain extent, consumers want all the bells and whistles... within reasonable prices that is. Not to mention everyday convenience.
3G requires end users to buy new handsets... now, that's fine for tech geeks like us here at Esato... the top 1% of the handset buying market... but what about the rest of the world? Most people are happy with the functions of the T68i, and T610. MOST people don't need anything more... and more importantly, most people don't want to be FORCED into buying a new handset... that's the feeling that 3G gives consumers... that they HAVE to buy a new handset. Instead of making them WANT to buy a new one. There's a VERY big difference in consumer psychology there.
And the prices they are charging telcos for the license... and in the end, us consumers... is just way too high. And for what? Faster internet? But not as fast as wifi? Video calls that only work if the other party has a video phone as well? So that adds up to about 5 people? I'm sure in the future it will become more widespread... but not in the next 5 years. By then... better handsets will be out... as well as the next generation wireless network.
Right now, 3G networks are just trying to recover their losses... 3G is dead and they know it. Just like the Iridium network, and the other "Holy Grail" satellite networks that promised "One World, One number"... it's good technology... it's just not needed.
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Posted: 2004-12-05 19:38:28
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@jplacson
I disagree. 3G has undeniably had its share of problems in being launched, but I think we are on the cusp of 3G's time. The most crucial factor in making 3G a success is the massive cost of it all. The networks have spent so much money on 3G that thye
have to make it a success.
Not everyone needs Wi-Fi speeds, most business users simply need to be able to send and receive e-mail whilst on the move, 3G speeds are perfectly acceptable for that. Wi-Fi usage is also dependent upon hotspots, which limit its overall appeal.
The ideal solution, in my opinion, is a mixture of the two, Wi-Fi and 3G. 3G is progressing very quickly indeed, if one compares the implementation of 2G and 3G, one would no doubt find that 3G is now moving at a faster pace. Handset troubles are being solved and the latets models are far superior to the initial handsets we saw when 3G was first launched. As handsets improve, customers will buy them because they will be just the same as the 2G handsets they use now, except for the fact that they will have more features.
I don't see such a process being five years, rather I see it happening within the next two years. 3G services are already starting to make a big impact in the UK, not to mention other countries. I don't think we should be so quick to write off 3G.
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Posted: 2004-12-05 20:46:38
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ooo. mixed reactions i see. well, im eyeing on five phones. xda IIi, mpx, 9500, hp 6300, 6630. Prices are (if i can remember correctly) 58k, 43k, 39k, ??? respectively. All have wi fi 'cept for 6630...i really need the connection and the PDA functions and might scrap out 6630...anyway, i really appreciate all your replies. I dont have much knowledge on 3g to start with. maybe wifi/gprs/edge would be best as of now....thanx guys
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Posted: 2004-12-08 15:38:12
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I'm sure, there are lot's of countries in the world who will not launch 3G at all. There are also many other countries who are just starting to discover GSM in nowadays.
I guess GSM have ahead a long life to live - despite of WiFi, 3G, 4G or whatever.
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Posted: 2004-12-08 16:35:59
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I'm a big advocate for wifi and 90% of my normal daily life is now covered by either my home wifi setup or street hotspots etc and its MUCH cheaper than GPRS or 3G data
I'll always keep GPRS or 3G data as a backup but as more hot spots go up and wi-max becomes more readily available I won't be using data-through-phone anywhere near as much as I have in the past
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Posted: 2004-12-08 16:42:54
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