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Generation follows generation in the world of mobile communication at ever accelerating speeds, jumping from second generation to generation 2.5 - an odd concept in generational terms - and onwards by half-generation until reaching 4G, electronics makers promise, sometime this year.
Lee Ki-tae, president of Samsung Electronics, recently claimed the company used ”°3.5G technology”± for the first time in the world, and in the course of the year will produce ”°noticeable results”± with 4G as well. That, they say, will be as fast and effective as a high-speed Internet and will also be able to link to digital broadcasting, wired communication, and mobile Internet (WiBro). Cell phone users can then watch television, video-conference, play games online, shop and bank wherever they are.
The mobile communication system in Korea has got to the European 3G (WCDMA) level. During the first half of next year, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and WiBro, which are classified as 3.5G, are due. This year and next year will be a transition period of 3G and 3.5G technology.
Korean mobile communication left the dear old first generation analog system far behind. It was followed by the 2nd generation digital system and 2.5 generation wireless Internet. The third generation here is the cdma2000 EVDO system. Meanwhile, handsets have evolved into multipurpose multimedia devices including cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, and DMB.
Some experts even define mobile communication after 2.5G as a totally new type of media. At the Seoul Digital Forum held in May, U.S. based mobile game publisher Mforma claimed mobile communication was in fact the fifth mass medium following press, radio, television, and Internet. International mobile phone users now outnumber television viewers, some say, and there are more gamers using mobile phones than consoles.
(Park Chang-shin, heri@chosun.com )
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