Can you tell me what a 3G phone is

Asks Catherine

A. A third generation or 3G phone is one that is compatible with the new telecommunication standard IMT-2000. This standard was set up by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as a framework for international mobile telephony and will be followed by its 150 member states. It basically works with a number of technologies to increase bandwidth and efficiency - two systems UMTS and W-CDMA will dominate the mobile telephony market. In Europe when a complete UMTS network is up and running mobile telephony will have reached its third generation. (W-CDMA will be more popular in Asia and the US).

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Q. What is UMTS

A. UMTS stands for the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System. Achieving a universal advanced mobile system is the aim of all telecommunications networks worldwide. When UMTS is achieved, and it is estimated to happen in 2003 (commercially), the third generation of mobile communications will be complete. UMTS will make transmission speeds of up to 2Mbit/s standard which in real terms means that you can have live two way video (similar to video conferencing) on your handset.

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Q. Is GPRS part of UMTS

A. GPRS or General Packet Radio Service is seen as a stepping stone in achieving UMTS - as it can transmit voice and data ten times faster than your standard GSM phone - the new UMTS network will be a lot faster than this. GPRS phones can be purchased on the high street now, but will be surpassed with the new 3G models by the end of 2002.

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Q. So why buy a GPRS phone now, why not wait for a full 3G model

A. The very nature of the mobile phone market dictates that most users want the latest model - so people will continue to update their phones, even if some people think it's a waste of money.

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Q. So what will 3G phones be like

A. Many manufacturers are currently trialling their new phones - all of which are expected to launch in the UK by the end of 2002/beginning of 2003. You can expect some of the following features to crop up on the handsets of the future:

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Nokia: by far the most popular manufacturer of mobile phones in the UK, Nokia's progress in the 3G market will be watched with close scrutiny.

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Nokia is set to launch three models of its Imaging Phone by the end of next year (it will initially launch these phones in Scandinavia in early 2002) which will all have relatively large screens (when compared to the size of the phone) for relaying video images. The days of looking at who you are talking to have arrived - and as Nokia's range will come in bright and funky colours they are sure to be very popular, especially with gadget addicts and teenagers. These phones will also have an always-on Internet connection and fast data transmission. Nokia's other new product for next year, the Media Phone is expected to be a best seller and will combine all the benefits of mobile telephony - voice, data and video.

More information is available from www.nokia.com

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Ericsson: Instead of adopting UMTS like other European operators, Ericsson has opted for W-CDMA (wideband code division multiple access) as it is used primarily in Asia and the US markets - this is another international standard developed and promoted by the ITU. UMTS and W-CDMA are expected to be the main two technologies, running in the 2GHz band, that will power the 3G movement.

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Naturally then, all Ericsson 3G phones will be W-CDMA compliable and will all have large screens to accommodate video clips, computer graphics (mainly Internet pages) and text. They will be a bit bulkier than you're used to - there is a lot of technology to pack into a small handset - but won't weigh you down too much. You will also be able to use your mobile as a PDA.

More information www.ericsson.com.

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Motorola: As one of the early pioneers of mobile telephony in the world, Motorola is a great believer in the power of the voice and has made it clear that it won't forget that concept in the design of its new 3G phones - they will be telephones first (with clear voice connections) and all-frills gadget machines later. Having said that they will be able to display video imaging, operate as PDAs and have always-on connections to the Internet, but they will look like a standard (if a little bit bigger) mobile phone and sound like one too. Motorola will also develop more adventurous, concept phones and media terminals at the same time and these will be targeted at its high-end customers.

More information www.motorola.co.uk

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Siemens: will launch a circular phone (similar in size a small hand mirror) next year as part of its 3G onslaught - known as the SX45. The SX45 will be a GPRS phone initially until UMTS is fully operational, when it will have full video footage. It has been built around Microsoft's Pocket PC specification and will have a colour touch-screen, 32MB of RAM and all the capabilities of an advanced PDA. It will however, be quite heavy at 400g so we won't all be expected to lug one around - it will be aimed at the high-end of the market. For Joe Public, its Axess 3G phone will mirror its 2G and GPRS models - they will be small, sleek and look like a rather nifty mobile phone instead of a very small computer - but will all the benefits of 3G.

More information www.siemens.co.uk

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By Karen Anderson