Introduction
Mobile computing can be defined as a
computing environment over physical mobility. This technology enables peoples
to access network service at any place, anytime, and anywhere. The user of
mobile computing environment will be able to access data, information or other
logical objects from any device in any network while on the move. Mobile
computing s used in different contexts with different names such as Mobile
Computing, Anywhere, Anytime Information, Virtual Home Environment, Nomadic
Computing, Ubiquitous Computing, and many others. Computing environment can be
defined as mobile if it supports one or more of the characteristics such as
User Mobility, Network Mobility, Bearer Mobility, device mobility, session mobility,
service mobility, and host mobility. Mobile
computing system allows a user to perform a task from anywhere using a
computing device in the public, corporate, and personal information spaces.
Mobile Technologies
The evolution of
mobile computing can be seen through the evolution of wireless data. The
evolution of wireless technology has been defined in generations which is the
first generation is well known as 1G technology, followed by 2G technology, 3G
technology with 2.5G technology followed by 2.75G technology as an intermediate
between 2G and 3G technology, and the latest technology is 4G technology.
1G (or 1-G) refers to the
first-generation of wireless telephone technology, mobile communications. 1G
technology were introduced at 1980s and an analog telecommunications standards.
1G technology uses FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) technology for
modulation. The first 1G network launched was the Nippon Telegraph and
Telephone Corporation (NTT) in Japan in 1979. The next 1G network technology is
Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT). NMT is the first fully automatic cellular phone
system that introduced. There are two variants of NMT which is NMT-450 and
NMT-900 which the numbers indicate the frequency band that uses with NMT-900
carries more channels than NMT-450 network. In 1982, Advance Mobile Phone
Technology (AMPS) was introduced by AT&T. Analog AMPS was then superseded
by Digital AMPS in 1990.
In 2G technology, voice is digitized
over a circuit. Using modems, a data connection is established between device
and the network. This technique is similar to what happen in a dial-up network
over analog telephone at home. One of the network technologies in 2G is GSM
(global System for Mobile Communications). GSM uses a combination of FDMA
(Frequency Division Multiple Access) and TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access).
In this 2G network technology, SMS (Short Message Service) was introduced which
enable sending and receiving text message to, and from. GSM supports data
access over CSD (Circuit Switched Data). GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is
a technology that introduced letter and well known as 2.5G technology. GPRS is
the next phase within the evolution of GSM, support data over packets. WAP is a
data service supported by GPRS and GSM to access internet and remote data
services. Technology 2.7G network introduced a service called EDGE (Enhanced
Data rate for GSM Evolution). This technology allows improved data transmission
rates, as an extension on top of standard GSM technology. EDGE is considered as
pre-3G technology and standardized by 3GPP as part of the GSM family.
Third Generation or 3G wireless technology uses Spread
Spectrum techniques for media access and encoding. In 3G, both data and voice
use packets. The 3G evolution allowed mobile telephone users to user audio,
video applications and also a graphics using their phone. 3G technologies also
offer user to watch streaming video through mobile telephone. 3G is known as
high speed IP data networks and mobile broadband. 3G technology uses packet
switching rather than circuit switching for data transmission and makes the
internet surfing faster and more convenient. UMTS and CDMA2000 are example of
3G networks.
The latest technology is Fourth Generation or 4G network.
4G technology is design to deliver fast wireless broadband services to mobile
devices. 4G network use an encoding method OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplexing). The 4g technology enable more simultaneous user per call which
is offer higher reliability and less dropped calls. Example of services in 4G
technology network is WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access),
LTE (Long Term Evolution), and HC-SDMA.
Mobile Service Providers in Malaysia
Celcom operator
is owned by Axiata Group Berhad. Celcom provides GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, and
HSDPA technology to their customers. Celcom offer both prepaid and postpaid
pelan to its customers. Services plans for customers that offered by Celcom is
Celcom Biz, Celcom Exec, Celcom Family 1 + 5, Celcom Blue, Celcom Xpax, U.O.X,
S.O.X, and etc. These plans are different from other plans and the target user
also different. For example, for Celcom U.O.X (University Of X) pelan is
basically for customers aged between 18 and 25 years old. For Celcom S.O.X
(School Of X) is only for Customers aged between 12 to 18 years old. The Celcom
Biz plans targeting business people as users for the plans. There also a plans
for foreigner from another country that offered by Celcom like Celcom Exec.
These plans enable customers to calls to foreign country like Indonesia, India,
China, Vietnam and other countries at the lower rate compare to normal plans.
Celcom also offers a plan for family like Celcom Xpax that allows them to
register a limited numbers (8 numbers for normal Xpax pelan) to their account
to gets special services such as lower call and messaging rate. To attract more
customers, Celcom make strategies such as free calls and SMSs during customer’s
birthday, a plan for buying a hand phone and many others.
DiGi
Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd is owned in majority by Telenor ASA of Norway with
49 percent of share. Technologies that offered by DiGi is GSM, GPRS, EDGE,
UMTS, and HSPA (Turbo 3G). Like others mobile service providers, DiGi offers a
plans to their customers such as postpaid, prepaid, DiGi Internet, DiGi
Business, and also International Calls Services. Under the prepaid, example
plans that offered is DiGi Best, DiGi Easy, and Prepaid BlackBerry plans. Plans
under postpaid is DG30, DG50, DG150, DiGi Smart pelan and iDiGi. Digi provides
services including voice under their prepaid and postpaid plans, SMS, data
plans and services, international roaming, international calling cars, and WAP
services.
Maxis Communication
berhad is owned by Ananda Krishnan and Saudi Telecom Company (25%).
Technologies that used by Maxis is GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, and HSPA. Hotlink is
a popular prepaid brand service that introduced by maxis in 1990. Another
services that offered by Maxis is VSAT services which is communication based on
satellite. Maxis also offer BlackBerry based mobile services. As other mobile
service providers, Maxis offer prepaid call plans, monthly subscription plans,
International Roaming, MMS, WAP, Residential Fixed Line services, and broadband
Internet Plans.
These
three mobile service providers Maxis, Celcom, and DiGi is the most popular
mobile network operator in Malaysia. Other mobile network operators in Malaysia
is U Moblie, TuneTalk, XOX COM, Redtone, Happy Prepaid, Merchantrade, OKTEL and
many more.
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