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Smart phones expanding locally: 3G speed helps smart phone users surf faster
Jun 08, 2010 (The Free Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Smart phones are getting smarter every day with all the tasks they can perform -- and they are getting faster with 3G coverage.
According to a Forrester survey, 64 percent of U.S. workers who use a computer for work want or own a smart phone. Apple's iPhone, Droid and Blackberry are all popular models that have come out in the decade and are available on different networks.
"Smart phone devices have become so popular, and it really is a totally new industry," Marcel Bekers, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in North Carolina, said. "A lot more people want to stay connected while they are on the go, and they can now access the Internet they used to have just at home and people really want that."
An influx of smart phones to the area provides a need for faster coverage, and the fastest coverage in our area on the market is currently 3G.
The term '3G' refers to the third generation of mobile technology. The main advantage of 3G networks is the use of a wider radio spectrum resulting in faster data transmission for advanced multimedia services and a larger network capacity.
"We had to upgrade our equipment to a 3G platform," Bekers said of U.S. Cellular. "That does not change the coverage, but increases any wireless transaction speed. Anyone online on our network is now browsing and sending e-mails ten times faster."
Even for those without smart phones, curiosity and interest in the technology is increasing.
"I have thought about it, and I think it would be helpful in a lot of ways," Kinston Verizon customer Shelly Baker and mother of three said of buying a smart phone. "I am on the go a lot and I get a lot of updates by e-mail. Having that on the road would definitely be nice."
Apple announced the release of the new iPhone 4 on Monday, but of the major providers, AT&T is the only one without 3G coverage in The Free Press area. AT&T does have EDGE/GPRS coverage, which allows for speeds of 75 to 135 kilobytes per second.
The closest areas for 3G coverage from AT&T are Jacksonville, Greenville and Havelock. No area in Lenoir, Greene or Jones counties currently gets AT&T 3G coverage. US Cellular and Verizon Wireless upgraded their coverage to 3G last year.
"Currently, customers in your area are covered by our 2G network," Amy Bristle of AT&T Corp Communications-Carolinas said. "As part of our investment plans in North Carolina for 2010, we plan to bring our 3G network to your area before the end of the year."
With demand increasing, many more smart phones are entering the market this year, according to local retailers.
"Now, it is running about 40 percent of the phones we sell are smart phones," said Jacksonville AT&T store manager Aly Hamed. "A year ago, it used to be like 10 percent smart phones. It is going up every month, every year -- it seems like everyone wants one of those right now."
Hamed said most people who come in looking for smart phones are looking for a device that can browse the Internet, access their e-mail, send and receive files and link up with their computers.
Hamed, who will manage a Kinston AT&T store in the near future, said iPhone sales in our area have not suffered because of the lack of high-speed coverage.
iPhone's biggest competitors in the smart phone market are Blackberry and Android. Verizon currently carries both and the Android phones will be coming to U.S. Cellular in July.
The first real cell phones are considered to be 1G or First Generation. The networks for these early cell phones used analog signals, and the phones had no abilities aside from voice.
2G technology replaced 1G in the 1990s. With 2G came a break away from the analog signals and a move toward the digital spectrum. 2G brought with it the introduction to providing multimedia content and increased bandwidth. A lot of the technologies classified as 2G are still being used in cell phones today.
"Now that I have it, I can not imagine being without it," said Bill Cox, a Droid user shopping at Vernon Park Mall on Monday. "I get all my work e-mails on my phone and can look something up when I need to. It is great because I do not have to miss anything."
Joel Gerber can be reached at 252-559-1076 or jgerber@freedomenc.com.
Breakout Box:
3G coverage allows for:
n Faster on-demand viewing of high quality video clips from your favorite TV shows, news, sports and weather
n Surfing the wireless Internet faster and significantly lower your wait for page loads
n Downloading files and accessing e-mail faster from favorite providers like Yahoo!, MSN and AOL
n Multi-tasking while you are on a call -- search for movies times, look up directions or send messages
n Getting more done with faster access to e-mail and Internet.
Source: AT&T
To see more of The Free Press or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.kinston.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, The Free Press, Kinston, N.C.
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