Wireless Communications

Mobile Phone Network

What is Mobile Phone Network?

• These networks are increasingly used for much more than voice calls. The improved capability of handsets and the networks' increased data transfer speeds mean increasingly sophisticated mobile phones and handheld PCs.
• The following is a list of the most common abbreviations connected with mobile pone services.

  GPS	Global Positioning System
  IM	Instant Messaging
  SMS	Short Messaging Service (Txt messaging)
  MMS	Multimedia Services
  WAP	Wireless Application Protocol

What can they do?

• Mobile handsets can offer access to e-mail, SMS, GPS, IM, MMS and Wap.
• Increasingly, smart handsets can offer remote workers access to mobile business applications and wireless internet services, for example combining MMS with internet technology enables staff to take, record and show images and pictures in real time.
• Using web services technology, businesses can create new applications for mobile phone business use, for example enabling customers using mobiles or DAs to access wireless ordering, billing and online buying.
• 3G networks will lead to faster data transfer and the development of more handset-based real-time business applications.

Who are Mobile Phone Networks designed for?

• GSM/GPRS networks offer national and international coverage and connectivity for out of office workers using a mobile phone, a proprietary handset, a PDA or a laptop.
• Developing services include mobile phone-attached barcode scanners for delivery workers, allowing them to scan parcel data.

Costs of Mobile Phone Networks

• Costs for both handsets and network operators' packages vary enormously so be sure to research the options carefully. Business packages tend to offer more advanced features and tariffs than personal ones, such as unlimited data usage for a fixed monthly sum.

Pros and Cons of Mobile Phone Networks

• Mobile networks offer tried and tested technology, proven national and global connectivity and billing systems - rival WLAN hotspots cannot match this yet.
• Data services may initially be expensive to use.
• Mobile network speeds are not increasing as quickly as predicted and, although many new handsets are available, their real effectiveness depends on the networks delivering the promised faster network speeds.
  

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