Showing posts with label Mobilephone History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mobilephone History. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Sim Lock and unlocking
A SIM lock, Simlock or Network lock, not to be confused with PIN or PUK code, is a capability built-in to GSM phones by mobile phone manufacturers. Network providers use this capability to restrict the use of these phones to specific countries and network providers. Currently, phones can be locked to accept only SIM cards from one or more of the following:
Countries (the phone will work in one country, but not another)
Network/Service providers (e.g. AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, Vodafone, etc.)
SIM types (i.e. only specific SIM cards can be used with the phone).
In some countries, most mobile phones are shipped with country and/or network provider locks. In addition, these locked phones tend to have firmware installed on them which is specific to the network provider. For example, if in Australia for example you have a Vodafone or Telstra branded phone, it displays the relevant logo and may only support features provided by that network (i.e. Vodafone! Live). This firmware is installed by the service provider and is separate from the locking mechanism. You can unlock most mobile phones to work with any GSM, such as 02 or Orange (in the UK) but the phone may still display the original branding and may not support features of your new carrier. Most phones can be unbranded by uploading a different firmware version, a procedure recommended for advanced users only.
Types of SIM locks
The country lock only allows the use of the phone with SIM cards that originated in a specific country or group of countries.
A network lock only allows the use of the phone with SIM cards that belong to a specific network.
The most common lock is the service provider lock (SP-lock). Many different service providers may use the same physical network (e.g. MVNOs). An SP-lock ensures that the handset is only used with SIM cards for the same service provider that marketed the handset. Service providers sometimes substantially subsidize handsets, and locking the handset improves the odds that its use will economically benefit the service provider.
The most restrictive type of lock which can be used is the full SIM card lock, which means that a phone will only work with one SIM card. If that SIM card malfunctions or is damaged, the phone will no longer work and must be serviced.
Some carriers may have separate locks for the different countries they operate in, so that a phone purchased in America may not work with a carrier's British counterpart or vice-versa.
Laws On SIM/Network Locking
In many countries, locking a handset is legal and may even be required. Some providers never unlock handsets, even after a customer has fulfilled their service contract.[citation needed]
On the other hand, SIM locking has countercompetitive effects on the cellphone service market. In some countries, this is considered sufficiently undesirable to warrant regulation or prohibition of the practice. Belgium is the only European country that outright forbids simlocking and contract/phone bundling. However, the iPhone's launch in Europe has illustrated that none of the current regulations in place amount to much consumer protection.
In the United States, the two national GSM carriers, T-Mobile [1] and AT&T Mobility[citations needed] will unlock your handset if you have an active account in good standing for at least 90 days. This is a change in practice, as before merging with Cingular, AT&T Wireless was known for never unlocking handsets. The US does NOT have any simlocking regulations --- and American GSM carriers are still providing unlocking codes for free.
In the United Kingdom, cellphone network providers don't have to provide unlocking codes at all even after the end of the contract --- see O2's position of not providing unlocking codes for the iphone at the end of the contract. The alternative to an unlocked handset is a sim free mobile phone. A sim free mobile phone is a phone that comes unlocked and is not branded on any network such as Vodafone, O2, Orange etc. [1]
In France, the simlocking laws were bypassed by Apple with an insane unlocked iphone price.
In Germany, T-Mobile only "promised" to provide unlocking codes for the iphone --- only after they were being sued by Vodafone in the injunction case. Notice that Vodafone's injunction was later overturned --- thus meaning that there is no effective simlocking laws in Germany.
In The Netherlands and Spain, providers must provide unlocking codes, but can charge a fee for this during the first 12 months after purchase.
In Hong Kong, carriers are not allowed to SIM lock a phone for the purpose of SOLELY tying customers to their network. But Hong Kong carriers can SIM-lock a phone to protect the handset subsidy or to enforce mobile plan contracts or to protect from theft.[2] It basically means that Hong Kong carriers can simlock by just giving some vaguely defined reason.
In Finland carriers are not allowed to sell simlocked GSM phones, but they can simlock 3G handsets.
In Australia, carriers can choose whether to SIM/Network Lock handsets or not and usually tend to only SIM/Network lock prepaid handsets --- thus there is no regulation or law on simlocking in Australia.
Unlocking technology
A handset can be unlocked by entering a special code, or in some cases, over-the-air by the carrier.
Typically, a locked phone will display a message if a restricted SIM is used, requesting the unlock code.
For example, on the Sony Ericsson T610 mobile phone, "Insert correct SIM card" will appear on the phone's display if the wrong SIM is used. Once a valid unlocking code is entered, the phone will display "Network unlocked". In some cases, the phone will simply display a message explaining that it is locked. This is especially the case with handsets provided by AT&T Mobility.
The code required to remove all SIM locks from a phone is called the master code or network code key.
The unlock code is verified by the phone itself, and is either stored in a database or calculated using an obscure mathematical formula by the provider.
The algorithms used in earlier Nokia brand phones (based on IMEI and MCC code) have been reverse engineered, stolen or leaked, resulting in many people offering Nokia unlock codes for free or for a fee. Newer Nokia phones have more robust encoding algorithms and permit fewer attempts at unlocking and are not unlockable by these free unlocking programs.
Many other manufacturers have taken a more cautious approach, and embed a random number in the handset's firmware that is only retained by the network on whose behalf the lock was applied. Such phones can often still be unlocked, but need to be connected to special test equipment that will rewrite that part of its firmware where the lock status is kept.
Most phones have security measures built in its software that prevent users from entering the unlock code too many times, usually four. After that the phone becomes "hard-locked" and special unlocking equipment has to be used in order to unlock it.
Handset manufacturers have economic incentives both to strengthen simlock security (which placates network providers and enables exclusivity deals), but also to weaken it (broadening a handset's appeal to customers who are not interested in the service provider that offers it). Also, making it too difficult to unlock a handset makes it less appealing to network service providers that have a legal obligation to provide unlock codes for every handset they've ever sold.
The main reason to unlock a phone is to be able to use it with a different SIM card. For example, when traveling abroad it's usually cheaper to temporarily use a foreign network, for example with a prepaid subscription. Contrary to some beliefs, an unlocked phone can't access extra cell phone towers or give free phone service. All it can do is accept other SIMs.
In some cases, a simlocked handset is sold at a substantially lower price than an unlocked one, because the service provider expects income through its service. A consumer may choose to unlock the phone and continue using his previous provider. Therefore, simlocks are usually employed on cheaper (pay-as-you-go) handsets, while discounts on more expensive handsets require a subscription that provides guaranteed cash flow.
A practice known as "box breaking" is common in the UK and some other markets. This involves purchasing (usually) pay as you go handsets from retail stores, unlocking the phones, and then selling them (often abroad) for a higher price than the subsidised retail price. The SIM card that came with the subsidized handset is then either thrown away or sold or used elsewhere. This practice is entirely legal in the UK, and provides a de-facto limit to the extent to which networks are willing to subsidize pay as you go handsets. In recent times network operators have been insisting that new customers purchase substantial amounts of airtime at the same time as they buy a new handset, in order that the total price they pay comes close to the true value of the handset.
.
Unlocking via code
Some companies have begun to offer an e-mail unlocking service. This service requires that the individual who wishes to unlock their phone emails his or hers IMEI number (you can find this by pressing *#06# on your phone) to the company. The company will then process this IMEI number and email back an unlock code and instructions. Input the unlock code and your phone is unlocked. These email services are usually the most efficient as it is the same method most retail stores will offer.
Unlocking via mail
Some companies have begun to offer a "mail-in" service. These services allow the user to send their phone in and have it sent back in an unlocked condition. The benefit to this is that the user doesn't have to become a "cell-phone technician" and also comes with the assurance of a money back guarantee.[3]
Regulations on unlocking
Unlocking a phone without the permission or unlocking code from the provider is usually in breach of the agreement with the provider, though most countries do not make specific laws prohibiting the removal of SIM locks. (In many markets, it is also unlikely that a customer would prematurely unlock a pay-as-you-go phone over the counter, since they are not legally bound by any such contract anyway).[citation needed] For example, in Poland, the law states that providers cannot word their customer contracts so that they forbid the removal of SIM locks, and the process is entirely legal providing that the IMEI number of the phone is not changed during the unlocking process.[citation needed]
In the Netherlands unlocking is legal provided that the process does not overwrite the handset's flash memory with a (modified) copy of copyrighted firmware, since this would be a breach of copyright retained by the manufacturer. However, unlocking a handset may void its warranty.
In the United States the DMCA formerly was claimed to criminalize unlocking. However, an exemption that took effect 27 November 2006 specifically permits it, and will expire in three years but it can be renewed after that.[4] The exemption only applies to the actual unlocking, not to providing an unlocking device or service, see WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act.
Locking in WWANs
Many operators provide HSPA services for laptops and the devices they sell are not SIM-locked, but the software drivers provided with the device are locked to a specific network operator only. Examples include Vodafone[citation needed] in Greece and Wind Hellas[citation needed]. It is possible for end users to flash the devices with the manufacturer's original firmware, or use another set of drivers, or a different operating system (eg Debian GNU/Linux) which does not have these restrictions. For example, the Huawei E220 sold by Vodafone is SIM-unlocked but has the VMCLite software which can only operate on Vodafone networks, but the user can download the Huawei's original software (called Mobile Partner and indicated as UTPC) and flash the device, or use a non-Windows OS or third-party software
Countries (the phone will work in one country, but not another)
Network/Service providers (e.g. AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, Vodafone, etc.)
SIM types (i.e. only specific SIM cards can be used with the phone).
In some countries, most mobile phones are shipped with country and/or network provider locks. In addition, these locked phones tend to have firmware installed on them which is specific to the network provider. For example, if in Australia for example you have a Vodafone or Telstra branded phone, it displays the relevant logo and may only support features provided by that network (i.e. Vodafone! Live). This firmware is installed by the service provider and is separate from the locking mechanism. You can unlock most mobile phones to work with any GSM, such as 02 or Orange (in the UK) but the phone may still display the original branding and may not support features of your new carrier. Most phones can be unbranded by uploading a different firmware version, a procedure recommended for advanced users only.
Types of SIM locks
The country lock only allows the use of the phone with SIM cards that originated in a specific country or group of countries.
A network lock only allows the use of the phone with SIM cards that belong to a specific network.
The most common lock is the service provider lock (SP-lock). Many different service providers may use the same physical network (e.g. MVNOs). An SP-lock ensures that the handset is only used with SIM cards for the same service provider that marketed the handset. Service providers sometimes substantially subsidize handsets, and locking the handset improves the odds that its use will economically benefit the service provider.
The most restrictive type of lock which can be used is the full SIM card lock, which means that a phone will only work with one SIM card. If that SIM card malfunctions or is damaged, the phone will no longer work and must be serviced.
Some carriers may have separate locks for the different countries they operate in, so that a phone purchased in America may not work with a carrier's British counterpart or vice-versa.
Laws On SIM/Network Locking
In many countries, locking a handset is legal and may even be required. Some providers never unlock handsets, even after a customer has fulfilled their service contract.[citation needed]
On the other hand, SIM locking has countercompetitive effects on the cellphone service market. In some countries, this is considered sufficiently undesirable to warrant regulation or prohibition of the practice. Belgium is the only European country that outright forbids simlocking and contract/phone bundling. However, the iPhone's launch in Europe has illustrated that none of the current regulations in place amount to much consumer protection.
In the United States, the two national GSM carriers, T-Mobile [1] and AT&T Mobility[citations needed] will unlock your handset if you have an active account in good standing for at least 90 days. This is a change in practice, as before merging with Cingular, AT&T Wireless was known for never unlocking handsets. The US does NOT have any simlocking regulations --- and American GSM carriers are still providing unlocking codes for free.
In the United Kingdom, cellphone network providers don't have to provide unlocking codes at all even after the end of the contract --- see O2's position of not providing unlocking codes for the iphone at the end of the contract. The alternative to an unlocked handset is a sim free mobile phone. A sim free mobile phone is a phone that comes unlocked and is not branded on any network such as Vodafone, O2, Orange etc. [1]
In France, the simlocking laws were bypassed by Apple with an insane unlocked iphone price.
In Germany, T-Mobile only "promised" to provide unlocking codes for the iphone --- only after they were being sued by Vodafone in the injunction case. Notice that Vodafone's injunction was later overturned --- thus meaning that there is no effective simlocking laws in Germany.
In The Netherlands and Spain, providers must provide unlocking codes, but can charge a fee for this during the first 12 months after purchase.
In Hong Kong, carriers are not allowed to SIM lock a phone for the purpose of SOLELY tying customers to their network. But Hong Kong carriers can SIM-lock a phone to protect the handset subsidy or to enforce mobile plan contracts or to protect from theft.[2] It basically means that Hong Kong carriers can simlock by just giving some vaguely defined reason.
In Finland carriers are not allowed to sell simlocked GSM phones, but they can simlock 3G handsets.
In Australia, carriers can choose whether to SIM/Network Lock handsets or not and usually tend to only SIM/Network lock prepaid handsets --- thus there is no regulation or law on simlocking in Australia.
Unlocking technology
A handset can be unlocked by entering a special code, or in some cases, over-the-air by the carrier.
Typically, a locked phone will display a message if a restricted SIM is used, requesting the unlock code.
For example, on the Sony Ericsson T610 mobile phone, "Insert correct SIM card" will appear on the phone's display if the wrong SIM is used. Once a valid unlocking code is entered, the phone will display "Network unlocked". In some cases, the phone will simply display a message explaining that it is locked. This is especially the case with handsets provided by AT&T Mobility.
The code required to remove all SIM locks from a phone is called the master code or network code key.
The unlock code is verified by the phone itself, and is either stored in a database or calculated using an obscure mathematical formula by the provider.
The algorithms used in earlier Nokia brand phones (based on IMEI and MCC code) have been reverse engineered, stolen or leaked, resulting in many people offering Nokia unlock codes for free or for a fee. Newer Nokia phones have more robust encoding algorithms and permit fewer attempts at unlocking and are not unlockable by these free unlocking programs.
Many other manufacturers have taken a more cautious approach, and embed a random number in the handset's firmware that is only retained by the network on whose behalf the lock was applied. Such phones can often still be unlocked, but need to be connected to special test equipment that will rewrite that part of its firmware where the lock status is kept.
Most phones have security measures built in its software that prevent users from entering the unlock code too many times, usually four. After that the phone becomes "hard-locked" and special unlocking equipment has to be used in order to unlock it.
Handset manufacturers have economic incentives both to strengthen simlock security (which placates network providers and enables exclusivity deals), but also to weaken it (broadening a handset's appeal to customers who are not interested in the service provider that offers it). Also, making it too difficult to unlock a handset makes it less appealing to network service providers that have a legal obligation to provide unlock codes for every handset they've ever sold.
The main reason to unlock a phone is to be able to use it with a different SIM card. For example, when traveling abroad it's usually cheaper to temporarily use a foreign network, for example with a prepaid subscription. Contrary to some beliefs, an unlocked phone can't access extra cell phone towers or give free phone service. All it can do is accept other SIMs.
In some cases, a simlocked handset is sold at a substantially lower price than an unlocked one, because the service provider expects income through its service. A consumer may choose to unlock the phone and continue using his previous provider. Therefore, simlocks are usually employed on cheaper (pay-as-you-go) handsets, while discounts on more expensive handsets require a subscription that provides guaranteed cash flow.
A practice known as "box breaking" is common in the UK and some other markets. This involves purchasing (usually) pay as you go handsets from retail stores, unlocking the phones, and then selling them (often abroad) for a higher price than the subsidised retail price. The SIM card that came with the subsidized handset is then either thrown away or sold or used elsewhere. This practice is entirely legal in the UK, and provides a de-facto limit to the extent to which networks are willing to subsidize pay as you go handsets. In recent times network operators have been insisting that new customers purchase substantial amounts of airtime at the same time as they buy a new handset, in order that the total price they pay comes close to the true value of the handset.
.
Unlocking via code
Some companies have begun to offer an e-mail unlocking service. This service requires that the individual who wishes to unlock their phone emails his or hers IMEI number (you can find this by pressing *#06# on your phone) to the company. The company will then process this IMEI number and email back an unlock code and instructions. Input the unlock code and your phone is unlocked. These email services are usually the most efficient as it is the same method most retail stores will offer.
Unlocking via mail
Some companies have begun to offer a "mail-in" service. These services allow the user to send their phone in and have it sent back in an unlocked condition. The benefit to this is that the user doesn't have to become a "cell-phone technician" and also comes with the assurance of a money back guarantee.[3]
Regulations on unlocking
Unlocking a phone without the permission or unlocking code from the provider is usually in breach of the agreement with the provider, though most countries do not make specific laws prohibiting the removal of SIM locks. (In many markets, it is also unlikely that a customer would prematurely unlock a pay-as-you-go phone over the counter, since they are not legally bound by any such contract anyway).[citation needed] For example, in Poland, the law states that providers cannot word their customer contracts so that they forbid the removal of SIM locks, and the process is entirely legal providing that the IMEI number of the phone is not changed during the unlocking process.[citation needed]
In the Netherlands unlocking is legal provided that the process does not overwrite the handset's flash memory with a (modified) copy of copyrighted firmware, since this would be a breach of copyright retained by the manufacturer. However, unlocking a handset may void its warranty.
In the United States the DMCA formerly was claimed to criminalize unlocking. However, an exemption that took effect 27 November 2006 specifically permits it, and will expire in three years but it can be renewed after that.[4] The exemption only applies to the actual unlocking, not to providing an unlocking device or service, see WIPO Copyright and Performances and Phonograms Treaties Implementation Act.
Locking in WWANs
Many operators provide HSPA services for laptops and the devices they sell are not SIM-locked, but the software drivers provided with the device are locked to a specific network operator only. Examples include Vodafone[citation needed] in Greece and Wind Hellas[citation needed]. It is possible for end users to flash the devices with the manufacturer's original firmware, or use another set of drivers, or a different operating system (eg Debian GNU/Linux) which does not have these restrictions. For example, the Huawei E220 sold by Vodafone is SIM-unlocked but has the VMCLite software which can only operate on Vodafone networks, but the user can download the Huawei's original software (called Mobile Partner and indicated as UTPC) and flash the device, or use a non-Windows OS or third-party software
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Genarations of mobile phones
Early years
In December 1947, Douglas H. Ring and W. Rae Young, Bell Labs engineers, proposed hexagonal cells for mobile phones.[1] Philip T. Porter, also of Bell Labs, proposed that the cell towers be at the corners of the hexagons rather than the centers and have directional antennas that would transmit/receive in 3 directions (see picture at right) into 3 adjacent hexagon cells.[2] I [3] The technology did not exist then and the frequencies had not yet been allocated. Cellular technology was undeveloped until the 1960s, when Richard H. Frenkiel and Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs developed the electronics.
In Europe, radio telephony was first used on the first-class passenger trains between Berlin and Hamburg in 1926. At the same time, radio telephony was introduced on passenger airplanes for air traffic security. Later radio telephony was introduced on a large scale in German tanks during the Second World War. After the war German police in the British zone of occupation first used disused tank telephony equipment to run the first radio patrol cars.[citation needed] In all of these cases the service was confined to specialists that were trained to use the equipment. In the early 1950s ships on the Rhine were among the first to use radio telephony with an untrained end customer as a user.
Recognizable mobile phones with direct dialing have existed at least since the 1950s. In the 1954 movie Sabrina, the businessman Linus Larrabee (played by Humphrey Bogart) makes a call from the phone in the back of his limousine.
The first fully automatic mobile phone system, called MTA (Mobile Telephone system A), was developed by Ericsson and commercially released in Sweden in 1956. This was the first system that didn't require any kind of manual control, but had the disadvantage of a phone weight of 40 kg (90 lb). MTB, an upgraded version with transistors, weighing 9 kg (20 lb), was introduced in 1965 and used DTMF signaling. It had 150 customers in the beginning and 600 when it shut down in 1983.
In 1967, each mobile phone had to stay within the cell area serviced by one base station throughout the phone call. This did not provide continuity of automatic telephone service to mobile phones moving through several cell areas. In 1970 Amos E. Joel, Jr., another Bell Labs engineer,[4] invented an automatic "call handoff" system to allow mobile phones to move through several cell areas during a single conversation without loss of conversation.
In December 1971, AT&T submitted a proposal for cellular service to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). After years of hearings, the FCC approved the proposal in 1982 for Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) and allocated frequencies in the 824-894 MHz band.[5] Analog AMPS was superseded by Digital AMPS in 1990.
One of the first truly successful public commercial mobile phone networks was the ARP network in Finland, launched in 1971. Posthumously, ARP is sometimes viewed as a zero generation (0G) cellular network, being slightly above previous proprietary and limited coverage networks.
Dr. Martin Cooper of Motorola, made the first US analogue mobile phone call on a larger prototype model in 1973.
On April 3, 1973, Motorola employee Dr. Martin Cooper placed a call to rival Joel Engel, head of research at AT&T's Bell Labs, while walking the streets of New York City talking on the first Motorola DynaTAC prototype in front of reporters. Motorola has a long history of making automotive radio, especially two-way radios for taxicabs and police cruisers.
In 1978, Bell Labs launched a trial of first commercial cellular network in Chicago using AMPS [1].
First generation
Main article: 1G
The first commercial launch of cellular telecoms was launched by NTT in Tokyo Japan in 1979. In 1981 the NMT system was launched in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. This was the first mobile phone technology that allowed international use of the mobile phone or so-called "roaming". The first handheld mobile phone in the US market was the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, which received approval in 1983. Mobile phones began to proliferate through the 1980s with the introduction of "cellular" phones based on cellular networks with multiple base stations located relatively close to each other, and protocols for the automated "handover" between two cells when a phone moved from one cell to the other. At this time analog transmission was in use in all systems. Mobile phones were somewhat larger than current ones, and at first, all were designed for permanent installation in vehicles (hence the term car phone). Soon, some of these bulky units were converted for use as "transportable" phones the size of a briefcase. Motorola introduced the first truly portable, handheld phone. These systems (NMT, AMPS, TACS, RTMI, C-Netz, and Radiocom 2000) later became known as first generation (1G) mobile phones.
[edit]
Second generation
Main articles: 2G, 2.5G, and 2.75G
In the 1990s, 'second generation' (2G) mobile phone systems such as GSM, IS-136 ("TDMA"), iDEN and IS-95 ("CDMA") began to be introduced. The first pre-commercial digital cellular phone call was made in the United States in 1990, in 1991 the first GSM network (Radiolinja) opened in Finland. 2G phone systems were characterized by digital circuit switched transmission and the introduction of advanced and fast phone to network signaling. In general the frequencies used by 2G systems in Europe were higher though with some overlap, for example the 900 MHz frequency range was used for both 1G and 2G systems in Europe and so such 1G systems were rapidly closed down to make space for 2G systems. In America the IS-54 standard was deployed in the same band as AMPS and displaced some of the existing analog channels.
Coinciding with the introduction of 2G systems was a trend away from the larger "brick" phones toward tiny 100–200g hand-held devices, which soon became the norm. This change was possible through technological improvements such as more advanced batteries and more energy-efficient electronics, but also was largely related to the higher density of cellular sites caused by increasing usage levels which decreased the demand for high transmit powers to reach distant towers for customers to be satisfied.
The second generation introduced a new variant to communication, as SMS text messaging became possible, initially on GSM networks and eventually on all digital networks. The first machine-generated SMS message was sent in the UK in 1991. The first person-to-person SMS text message was sent in Finland in 1993. Soon SMS became the communication method of preference for the youth. Today in many advanced markets the general public prefers sending text messages to placing voice calls.
2G also introduced the ability to consume media content on mobile phones, when Radiolinja (now Elisa) in Finland introduced the downloadable ringing tone as paid content. Finland was also the first country where advertising appeared on the mobile phone when a free daily news headline service on SMS text messaging was launched in 2000, sponsored by advertising.
[edit]
Third generation
Main article: 3G
Not long after the introduction of 2G networks, projects began to develop third generation (3G) systems. Inevitably there were many different standards with different contenders pushing their own technologies. Quite differently from 2G systems, however, the meaning of 3G has been standardized in the IMT-2000 standardization processing. This process did not standardize on a technology, but rather on a set of requirements (2 Mbit/s maximum data rate indoors, 384 kbit/s outdoors, for example). At that point, the vision of a single unified worldwide standard broke down and several different standards have been introduced.
The first pre-commercial trial network with 3G was launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan in the Tokyo region in May of 2001. NTT DoCoMo launched the first commercial 3G network on October 1, 2001, using the WCDMA technology. In 2002 the first 3G networks on the rival CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology were launched by SK Telecom and KTF in South Korea, and Monet in the USA. Monet has since gone bankrupt. By the end of 2002, the second WCDMA network was launched in Japan by Vodafone KK (now Softbank). In March the first European launches of 3G were in Italy and the UK by the Three/Hutchison group, on WCDMA. 2003 saw a further 8 commercial launches of 3G, six more on WCDMA and two more on the EV-DO standard.
During the development of 3G systems, 2.5G systems such as CDMA2000 1x and GPRS were developed as extensions to existing 2G networks. These provide some of the features of 3G without fulfilling the promised high data rates or full range of multimedia services. CDMA2000-1X delivers theoretical maximum data speeds of up to 307 kbit/s. Just beyond these is the EDGE system which in theory covers the requirements for 3G system, but is so narrowly above these that any practical system would be sure to fall short.
By the end of 2007 there were 295 Million subscribers on 3G networks worldwide, which reflected 9% of the total worldwide subscriber base. About two thirds of these are on the WCDMA standard and one third on the EV-DO standard. The 3G telecoms services generated over 120 Billion dollars of revenues during 2007 and at many markets the majority of new phones activated were 3G phones. In Japan and South Korea the market no longer supplies phones of the second generation. Earlier in the decade there were doubts about whether 3G might happen, and also whether 3G might become a commercial success. By the end of 2007 it had become clear that 3G was a reality and was clearly on the path to become a profitable venture.
Live streaming of radio and television [2] to 3G handsets is one future direction for the industry, with companies from Real [3] and Disney [4] recently announcing services.
Ettiquette of mobile use
Etiquette
Most schools in the United States have prohibited mobile phones in the classroom, due to the large number of class disruptions that result from their use, and the potential for cheating via text messaging. In the UK, possession of a mobile phone in an examination can result in immediate disqualification from that subject or from all that student's subjects.[42]
A working group made up of Finnish telephone companies, public transport operators and communications authorities has launched a campaign to remind mobile phone users of courtesy, especially when using mass transit—what to talk about on the phone, and how to. In particular, the campaign wants to impact loud mobile phone usage as well as calls regarding sensitive matters.[43]
Many US cities with subway transit systems underground are studying or have implemented mobile phone reception in their underground tunnels for their riders. Boston, Massachusetts has investigated such usage in their tunnels, although there is a question of usage etiquette and also how to fairly award contracts to carriers.[44][45]
The issue of mobile communication and etiquette has also become an issue of academic interest. The rapid adoption of the device has resulted in the intrusion of telephony into situations where this was previously not known. This has exposed the implicit rules of courtesy and opened them to reevaluation.[46]
Use by drivers
This Manhattan driver is using two phones at once
Main article: Mobile phones and driving safety
The use of mobile phones by people who are driving has become increasingly common, either as part of their job, as in the case of delivery drivers who are calling a client, or by commuters who are chatting with a friend. While many drivers have embraced the convenience of using their cellphone while driving, some jurisdictions have made the practice against the law, such as the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Officials from these jurisdictions argue that using a mobile phone while driving is an impediment to vehicle operation that can increase the risk of road traffic accidents.
Studies have found vastly different relative risks (RR). Two separate studies using case-crossover analysis each calculated RR at 4,[47][48] while an epidemiological cohort study found RR, when adjusted for crash-risk exposure, of 1.11 for men and 1.21 for women.[49]
A simulation study from the University of Utah Professor David Strayer compared drivers with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% to those conversing on a cell phone, and after controlling for driving difficulty and time on task, the study concluded that cell phone drivers exhibited greater impairment than intoxicated drivers. [50] Meta-analysis by The Canadian Automobile Association[51] and The University of Illinois[52] found that response time while using both hands-free and hand-held phones was approximately 0.5 standard deviations higher than normal driving (i.e., an average driver, while talking on a cell phone, has response times of a driver in roughly the 40th percentile).
Other research has found that using a mobile phone while driving may reduce the driver's concentration and reaction time. People in or near their 20s who use a mobile phone while driving have the same reaction time as 70-year-olds. Studies have shown that talking on a phone can reduce the cognitive resources that the driver can apply to the driving task, and may thus lead to dangerous situations[citation needed].
Driving while using a hands-free device is not safer than driving while using a hand-held phone, as concluded by case-crossover studies.[47][48] epidemiological studies,[49] simulation studies,[50] and meta-analysis[51][52]. Even with this information, the State of California recently passed a cell phone law that requires drivers over the age of 18 to use a hands-free device while using the phone in the car. Moreover, this law also restricts drivers under the age of 18 from using a mobile phone at all. This law goes into effect on July 1, 2008 with a $20 fine for the first offense and $50 fines for each subsequent conviction. The consistency of increased crash risk between hands-free and hand-held phone use is at odds with legislation in over 30 countries that prohibit hand-held phone use but allow hands-free. Scientific literature is mixed on the dangers of talking on a phone versus those of talking with a passenger, with the Accident Research Unit at the University of Nottingham finding that the number of utterances was usually higher for mobile calls when compared to blindfolded and non-blindfolded passengers,[53] but the University of Illinois meta-analysis concluding that passenger conversations were just as costly to driving performance as cell phone ones.[52]
Impacts of Mobile phone on Human health and behaviour
Impacts
Human health and behaviour
Main article: Mobile phone radiation and health
Since the introduction of mobile phones, concerns have been raised about the potential health impacts from regular use.[29] As mobile phone penetrations grew past fixed landline penetration levels in 1998 in Finland and from 1999 in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, the Scandinavian health authorities have run continuous long term studies of effects of mobile phone radiation effects to humans, and in particular children. Numerous studies have reported no significant relationship between mobile phone use and health.
Studies from the Institute of Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute and researchers at the Danish Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen for example showed no link between mobile phone use and cancer.[30] The Danish study only covered analog mobile phone usage up through 1995, and subjects who started mobile phone usage after 1995 were counted as non-users in the study.[31] The health concerns have grown as mobile phone penetration rates throughout Europe reached 80%–90% levels earlier in this decade and prolonged exposure studies have been carried out in almost all European countries again most reporting no effect, and the most alarming studies only reporting a possible effect. However, a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of 4,500 users found a borderline statistically significant link between tumor frequency on the same side of the head as the mobile phone was used on and mobile phone usage.[32]
One study that reviewed the link between cellphones and sperm quality found that heavy mobile phone users (>4 hours per day) had significantly less viable sperm (WHO morphology score was less than half of the lower time mobile phone users).[33] A prospective study of 13 normal men found that significantly increasing their mobile phone use (>6 hours each day for 5 days) caused a marked short-term reduction of sperm quality.[34]
Men who use mobile phones on a regular basis lose about 30 percent of their active sperm cells. Those who carry their mobile phones in pockets of their pants are putting their potency at great danger. Scientists say that even in sleep mode mobile phones are harmful.[35]
This is considered to be a thermal effect, since the testes are vulnerable to heating by RF energy because of poor circulation and heat is known to have adverse effects on male fertility.[36] Also the thermal from the mobile phone proliferates the bacteria on the key pad. By the study of some research, bacteria on the keypad is more serious and fatal to human health than bacteria in the toilet. The eyes are the other part of the body known to be poor at dissipating heat. Experiments have shown that short duration exposure to very high levels of RF radiation can cause cataracts in rabbits.[36] The non-thermal effects of RF radiation are an area of active study.
A 2007 study by Prof. Bengt Arnetz and colleagues of Wayne State University and Uppsala University, and Foundation IT’IS, USA, and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Forum and published in "Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) Online" reported higher incidence of headache and also disturbance of normal sleep patterns following mobile phone use.[37]
Early in 2008, Michele Froment-Vedrine the President of AFSSET (an independent but state-funded French health watchdog), advised that parents should not give small children mobile phones.[38]
Study of the University of Szeged, Hungary showed that mobile phones carried in pockets of pants and/or worn on belts could result in loss of quantity and quality of active sperm cells by men.[39]
Safety concerns
As of 2007, several airlines are experimenting with base station and antenna systems installed to the aeroplane, allowing low power, short-range connection of any phones aboard to remain connected to the aircraft's base station.[40] Thus, they would not attempt connection to the ground base stations as during take off and landing.[citation needed] Simultaneously, airlines may offer phone services to their travelling passengers either as full voice and data services, or initially only as SMS text messaging and similar services. Qantas, the Australian airline, is the first airline to run a test aeroplane in this configuration in the autumn of 2007.[citation needed] Emirates has announced plans to allow limited mobile phone usage on some flights.[citation needed] However, in the past, commercial airlines have prevented the use of cell phones and laptops, due to the fact that the frequencies emitted from these devices may disturb the radio waves contact of the airplane.
On the 20 March 2008 an Emirates flight was the first time voice calls have been allowed in-flight on commercial airline flights. The breakthrough came after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the United Arab Emirates-based General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) granted full approval for the AeroMobile system to be used on Emirates. Passengers were able to make and receive voice calls as well as use text messaging on today’s flight. The system automatically came into operation as the Airbus A340-300 reached cruise altitude. Passengers wanting to use the service received a text message welcoming them to the AeroMobile system when they first switched-on their phones. The approval by EASA has finally put to rest that GSM phones on certified aircraft types are safe.
In any case, there are inconsistencies between practices allowed by different airlines and even on the same airline in different countries. For example, Northwest Airlines may allow the use of mobile phones immediately after landing on a domestic flight within the US, whereas they may state "not until the doors are open" on an international flight arriving in the Netherlands. In April 2007 the US Federal Communications Commission officially grounded the idea of allowing passengers to use phones during a flight.[41]
In a similar vein, signs are put up in many countries, such as Canada, the U.K. and the U.S., at petrol stations prohibiting the use of mobile phones, due to possible safety issues.[citation needed]
Human health and behaviour
Main article: Mobile phone radiation and health
Since the introduction of mobile phones, concerns have been raised about the potential health impacts from regular use.[29] As mobile phone penetrations grew past fixed landline penetration levels in 1998 in Finland and from 1999 in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, the Scandinavian health authorities have run continuous long term studies of effects of mobile phone radiation effects to humans, and in particular children. Numerous studies have reported no significant relationship between mobile phone use and health.
Studies from the Institute of Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute and researchers at the Danish Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen for example showed no link between mobile phone use and cancer.[30] The Danish study only covered analog mobile phone usage up through 1995, and subjects who started mobile phone usage after 1995 were counted as non-users in the study.[31] The health concerns have grown as mobile phone penetration rates throughout Europe reached 80%–90% levels earlier in this decade and prolonged exposure studies have been carried out in almost all European countries again most reporting no effect, and the most alarming studies only reporting a possible effect. However, a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of 4,500 users found a borderline statistically significant link between tumor frequency on the same side of the head as the mobile phone was used on and mobile phone usage.[32]
One study that reviewed the link between cellphones and sperm quality found that heavy mobile phone users (>4 hours per day) had significantly less viable sperm (WHO morphology score was less than half of the lower time mobile phone users).[33] A prospective study of 13 normal men found that significantly increasing their mobile phone use (>6 hours each day for 5 days) caused a marked short-term reduction of sperm quality.[34]
Men who use mobile phones on a regular basis lose about 30 percent of their active sperm cells. Those who carry their mobile phones in pockets of their pants are putting their potency at great danger. Scientists say that even in sleep mode mobile phones are harmful.[35]
This is considered to be a thermal effect, since the testes are vulnerable to heating by RF energy because of poor circulation and heat is known to have adverse effects on male fertility.[36] Also the thermal from the mobile phone proliferates the bacteria on the key pad. By the study of some research, bacteria on the keypad is more serious and fatal to human health than bacteria in the toilet. The eyes are the other part of the body known to be poor at dissipating heat. Experiments have shown that short duration exposure to very high levels of RF radiation can cause cataracts in rabbits.[36] The non-thermal effects of RF radiation are an area of active study.
A 2007 study by Prof. Bengt Arnetz and colleagues of Wayne State University and Uppsala University, and Foundation IT’IS, USA, and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Forum and published in "Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) Online" reported higher incidence of headache and also disturbance of normal sleep patterns following mobile phone use.[37]
Early in 2008, Michele Froment-Vedrine the President of AFSSET (an independent but state-funded French health watchdog), advised that parents should not give small children mobile phones.[38]
Study of the University of Szeged, Hungary showed that mobile phones carried in pockets of pants and/or worn on belts could result in loss of quantity and quality of active sperm cells by men.[39]
Safety concerns
As of 2007, several airlines are experimenting with base station and antenna systems installed to the aeroplane, allowing low power, short-range connection of any phones aboard to remain connected to the aircraft's base station.[40] Thus, they would not attempt connection to the ground base stations as during take off and landing.[citation needed] Simultaneously, airlines may offer phone services to their travelling passengers either as full voice and data services, or initially only as SMS text messaging and similar services. Qantas, the Australian airline, is the first airline to run a test aeroplane in this configuration in the autumn of 2007.[citation needed] Emirates has announced plans to allow limited mobile phone usage on some flights.[citation needed] However, in the past, commercial airlines have prevented the use of cell phones and laptops, due to the fact that the frequencies emitted from these devices may disturb the radio waves contact of the airplane.
On the 20 March 2008 an Emirates flight was the first time voice calls have been allowed in-flight on commercial airline flights. The breakthrough came after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the United Arab Emirates-based General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) granted full approval for the AeroMobile system to be used on Emirates. Passengers were able to make and receive voice calls as well as use text messaging on today’s flight. The system automatically came into operation as the Airbus A340-300 reached cruise altitude. Passengers wanting to use the service received a text message welcoming them to the AeroMobile system when they first switched-on their phones. The approval by EASA has finally put to rest that GSM phones on certified aircraft types are safe.
In any case, there are inconsistencies between practices allowed by different airlines and even on the same airline in different countries. For example, Northwest Airlines may allow the use of mobile phones immediately after landing on a domestic flight within the US, whereas they may state "not until the doors are open" on an international flight arriving in the Netherlands. In April 2007 the US Federal Communications Commission officially grounded the idea of allowing passengers to use phones during a flight.[41]
In a similar vein, signs are put up in many countries, such as Canada, the U.K. and the U.S., at petrol stations prohibiting the use of mobile phones, due to possible safety issues.[citation needed]
Mobile phone in Media
Media
The mobile phone became a mass media channel in 1998 when the first ringing tones were sold to mobile phones by Radiolinja in Finland. Soon other media content appeared such as news, videogames, jokes, horoscopes, TV content and advertising. In 2006 the total value of mobile phone paid media content exceeded internet paid media content and was worth 31 Billion dollars (source Informa 2007). The value of music on phones was worth 9.3 Billion dollars in 2007 and gaming was worth over 5 billion dollars in 2007 (source Netsize Guide 2008).
The mobile phone is often called the Fourth Screen (if counting cinema, TV and PC screens as the first three) or Third Screen (counting only TV and PC screens). It is also called the Seventh of the Mass Media (with Print, Recordings, Cinema, Radio, TV and Internet the first six). Most early content for mobile tended to be copies of legacy media, such as the banner advertisement or the TV news highlight video clip. Recently unique content for mobile has been emerging, from the ringing tones and ringback tones in music to "mobisodes" the video content that has been produced exclusively for mobile phones.
The advent of media on the mobile phone has also produced the opportunity to identify and track Alpha Users or Hubs, the most influential members of any social community. AMF Ventures measured in 2007 the relative accuracy of three mass media, and found that audience measures on mobile were nine times more accurate than on the internet and 90 times more accurate than on TV.
History of Mobile phone
Mobile phones send and receive radio signals with any number of cell site base stations fitted with microwave antennas. These sites are usually mounted on a tower, pole or building, located throughout populated areas, then connected to a cabled communication network and switching system. The phones have a low-power transceiver that transmits voice and data to the nearest cell sites, normally not more than 8 to 13 km (approximately 5 to 8 miles) away.
When the mobile phone or data device is turned on, it registers with the mobile telephone exchange, or switch, with its unique identifiers, and will then be alerted by the mobile switch when there is an incoming telephone call. The handset constantly listens for the strongest signal being received from the surrounding base stations. As the user moves around the network, the mobile device will "handoff" to various cell sites during calls, or while waiting (idle) between calls it will reselect cell sites.
Cell sites have relatively low-power (often only one or two watts) radio transmitters which broadcast their presence and relay communications between the mobile handsets and the switch. The switch in turn connects the call to another subscriber of the same wireless service provider or to the public telephone network, which includes the networks of other wireless carriers. Many of these sites are camouflaged to blend with existing environments, particularly in scenic areas.
The dialogue between the handset and the cell site is a stream of digital data that includes digitized audio (except for the first generation analog networks). The technology that achieves this depends on the system which the mobile phone operator has adopted. The technologies are grouped by generation. The first-generation systems started in 1979 with Japan, are all analog and include AMPS and NMT. Second-generation systems, started in 1991 in Finland, are all digital and include GSM, CDMA and TDMA.
The nature of cellular technology renders many phones vulnerable to 'cloning': anytime a cell phone moves out of coverage (for example, in a road tunnel), when the signal is re-established, the phone will send out a 're-connect' signal to the nearest cell-tower, identifying itself and signalling that it is again ready to transmit. WIth the proper equipment, it's possible to intercept the re-connect signal and encode the data it contains into a 'blank' phone -- in all respects, the 'blank' is then an exact duplicate of the real phone and any calls made on the 'clone' will be charged to the original account.
Third-generation (3G) networks, which are still being deployed, began in Japan in 2001. They are all digital, and offer high-speed data access in addition to voice services and include W-CDMA (known also as UMTS), and CDMA2000 EV-DO. China will launch a third generation technology on the TD-SCDMA standard. Operators use a mix of predesignated frequency bands determined by the network requirements and local regulations.
History
Main article: History of mobile phones
In 1908, U.S. Patent 887,357 for a wireless telephone was issued in to Nathan B. Stubblefield of Murray, Kentucky. He applied this patent to "cave radio" telephones and not directly to cellular telephony as the term is currently understood.[59] Cells for mobile phone base stations were invented in 1947 by Bell Labs engineers at AT&T and further developed by Bell Labs during the 1960s. Radiophones have a long and varied history going back to Reginald Fessenden's invention and shore-to-ship demonstration of radio telephony, through the Second World War with military use of radio telephony links and civil services in the 1950s, while hand-held cellular radio devices have been available since 1973. Due to their low establishment costs and rapid deployment, mobile phone networks have since spread rapidly throughout the world, outstripping the growth of fixed telephony.[citation needed]
In 1945, the zero generation (0G) of mobile telephones was introduced. 0G mobile phones, such as Mobile Telephone Service, were not cellular, and so did not feature "handover" from one base station to the next and reuse of radio frequency channels.[citation needed] Like other technologies of the time, it involved a single, powerful base station covering a wide area, and each telephone would effectively monopolize a channel over that whole area while in use. The concepts of frequency reuse and handoff as well as a number of other concepts that formed the basis of modern cell phone technology are first described in U.S. Patent 4,152,647 , issued May 1, 1979 to Charles A. Gladden and Martin H. Parelman, both of Las Vegas, Nevada and assigned by them to the United States Government.
This is the first embodiment of all the concepts that formed the basis of the next major step in mobile telephony, the Analog cellular telephone. Concepts covered in this patent (cited in at least 34 other patents) also were later extended to several satellite communication systems. Later updating of the cellular system to a digital system credits this patent.
Martin Cooper, a Motorola researcher and executive is widely considered to be the inventor of the first practical mobile phone for handheld use in a non-vehicle setting. Using a modern, if somewhat heavy portable handset, Cooper made the first call on a handheld mobile phone on April 3, 1973.[60]
The first commercial citywide cellular network was launched in Japan by NTT in 1979. Fully automatic cellular networks were first introduced in the early to mid 1980s (the 1G generation). The Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) system went online in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in 1981[citation needed]. NMT was the first mobile phone system that enabled international use of the phone, or "roaming" on other networks in other countries. This was followed by a boom in mobile phone usage, particularly in Northern Europe.[citation needed]
In 1983, Motorola DynaTAC was the first approved mobile phone by FCC in the United States. In 1984, Bell Labs developed modern commercial cellular technology (based, to a large extent, on the Gladden, Parelman Patent), which employed multiple, centrally-controlled base stations (cell sites), each providing service to a small area (a cell). The cell sites would be set up such that cells partially overlapped. In a cellular system, a signal between a base station (cell site) and a terminal (phone) only need be strong enough to reach between the two, so the same channel can be used simultaneously for separate conversations in different cells.
Cellular systems required several leaps of technology, including handover, which allowed a conversation to continue as a mobile phone traveled from cell to cell. This system included variable transmission power in both the base stations and the telephones (controlled by the base stations), which allowed range and cell size to vary. As the system expanded and neared capacity, the ability to reduce transmission power allowed new cells to be added, resulting in more, smaller cells and thus more capacity. The evidence of this growth can still be seen in the many older, tall cell site towers with no antennae on the upper parts of their towers. These sites originally created large cells, and so had their antennae mounted atop high towers; the towers were designed so that as the system expanded—and cell sizes shrank—the antennae could be lowered on their original masts to reduce range.
The first "modern" network technology on digital 2G (second generation) cellular technology was launched by Radiolinja (now part of Elisa Group) in 1991 in Finland on the GSM standard which also marked the introduction of competition in mobile telecoms when Radiolinja challenged incumbent Telecom Finland (now part of TeliaSonera) who ran a 1G NMT network.
The first data services appeared on mobile phones starting with person-to-person SMS text messaging in Finland in 1993. First trial payments using a mobile phone to pay for a Coca Cola vending machine were set in Finland in 1998. The first commercial payments were mobile parking trialled in Sweden but first commercially launched in Norway in 1999. The first commercial payment system to mimick banks and credit cards was launched in the Philippines in 1999 simultaneously by mobile operators Globe and Smart. The first content sold to mobile phones was the ringing tone, first launched in 1998 in Finland. The first full internet service on mobile phones was i-Mode introduced by NTT DoCoMo in Japan in 1999.
In 2001 the first commercial launch of 3G (Third Generation) was again in Japan by NTT DoCoMo on the WCDMA standard.[citation needed][61]
Until the early 1990s, most mobile phones were too large to be carried in a jacket pocket, so they were typically installed in vehicles as car phones. With the miniaturization of digital components and the development of more sophisticated batteries, mobile phones have become smaller and lighter.
In the 2000s, video and TV services are driving forward third generation (3G) deployment. In the future, low cost, high speed data may drive forward the fourth generation (4G) as short-range communication emerges. Service and application ubiquity, low cost data delivery, and a high degree of personalization and synchronization between various user appliances will be drivers. At the same time, the radio access network may evolve from a centralized architecture to a distributed one.[citation needed]
Monday, May 26, 2008
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