Streamyx

Here I am to get rid of people's confusion, as I explain mobile broadband to you!

The road to mobile broadband - how the online world evolved

As we look back on the history of the internet, we can see a constant evolution. Things never stay the same, they move and evolve, fighting to set new standards, to become more than they once were. It really is like evolution, with advancements being made, and the best surviving. And in doing that, the internet has evolved from the lumbering beastie it used to be, into a swift, nimble-footed creature, running like the wind, and following us wherever we go (yep, I know how to stretch a metaphor well past the point where it ceases to be useful!)

It all started, for me, at least, with dialup, using a modem you had to actually take your computer to bits to install. Which was both annoying and painful, if you caught your fingers in the case (as I did EVERY time). Then along came broadband, and the internet got fast. And my god, wasn't it better! So, as broadband evolved, and got faster, we went from modems to wireless routers, and that opened the world's eyes to something cool: using the internet, on a laptop, whilst wireless and moving about was cool. But it was only this year, in 2008, that the idea reached its true potential. Not WiFi... fully mobile broadband.

Mobile Broadband - what we've all been waiting for

2008 is a big year for the internet, because this is the year that mobile broadband goes big time. I'm talking full-on, no-holds-barred world domination. Imagine the wonder of it. No more wires, and going online wherever you want. Oh, it's going to be glorious!

So, why is mobile broadband so good? What makes it achieve a level of brilliance that no other broadband system can match? Well, in truth, there are a couple of factors. First off is obviously the fact that it's completely mobile. With absolutely no need to go hunting down a WiFi hot spot, and no need to have a home landline, it frees up the internet, setting it free from boundaries, so you can carry it round with you wherever you go (probably not in your pocket, though, unles you've got pockets big enough to fit a laptop in...). The second big factor is simply how easy it is to set up. You get the USB Modem, you plug it in, it installs itself, you go online. It's so easy it beggars belief. Compare mobile broadband to any other internet package, and I guarantee it will come off well!

Expert in mobile phones and mobile broadband, having worked in the industry for many years. Has no life, but never lets that stop him!

Forming strong collaboration between African governments and the corporate sector is the smartest way to do meet the challenge of deploying ICTs in Africa, says Ingo Juraske, Hewlett Packards Public Sector VP in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Juraske says as resources (money, skilled people) are limited, governments and business have to change the way they work.

Governments should consult with service providers at the early stages of their ICT projects, harnessing the expertise that they have gathered in the course of doing business, he says.

Dont just hit us with a tender. We appreciate it as well, but if we are to improve the chances of the projects success, you must let us share the lessons we learnt with you,?he says.

Heikki Tuunanen, ambassador of Finland to South Africa says the challenge in deploying ICTs in developing countries does not lie in knowing what to do and how to do it; it is in doing the right things as fast as possible.

He says the CT sector changes very rapidly. As a result, governments need to ensure that strategies are decided and acted upon before the sector moves on to the next level of development, leaving the citizens behind, he says. He adds that governments and companies must be able to predict development trends to gain competitive advantage.

Tunnanen gives the example of Nokia, a company that 20 years ago was fully diversified, producing paper, rubber boots and electronic equipment, among other things.

The company was able to see opportunities for growth in mobile phone technology and take advantage of them, he says.

Damaria Senne is a journalist and author based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She regularly interviews executives of multinational companies, government officials and regulators in the African communications market and foresees huge opportunities for content development in Africa in the next couple of years.

Read her articles at http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/itingovernment/

Most people don't know that they already have everything they need to start saving money using internet telephony, or VoIP. All you have to have is a regular telephone and high-speed internet access. That's it! If you have both of those, you are ready to start saving loads of money on local and long distance phone calls.

It is inevitable that VOIP will replace traditional telephone service at some point. The only question is when should you jump in?

VOIP is quickly becoming more reliable and receiving wider acceptance. In fact, phone companies are already taking advantage of the technology to provide cheaper long distance rates. Like any emerging technology, however, there are kinks in the system that are still being worked out.

Advantages:

Internet Phone Service has numerous advantages over traditional telephone service. The most obvious is the cost benefits. If you have a high-speed internet connection, you can make phone calls from PC-to-PC anywhere in the world for FREE! More common PC-to-Phone calls usually come with a small charge but are still much cheaper than regular phone service.

For a small monthly fee, you can sign up with a VoIP service provider and get unlimited calls within the country! International calls can also be made for a fraction of the cost of regular service.

Another advantage is its portability. You can make and receive phone calls wherever there is a broadband connection by simply signing in to your VOIP account. This makes VOIP as convenient as e-mail. When you're traveling, you simply pack a headset or Internet phone; then you can talk to family or colleagues for next to nothing.

Phone-to-phone VOIP is also portable. Internet phones are small and light enough to take anywhere. When you sign up with a VOIP service provider, the Internet phone or adaptor used by that service is assigned a unique number. This 'phone number' remains valid, even if your VOIP service is in Los Angeles and you're connected to the Internet in London. When plugged into a broadband connection, anywhere in the world, you can make and receive calls as though you were at home.

Features like call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and 3way-calling, are included with Internet telephone at no extra charge. While you're talking on the phone, you can send pictures and documents at the same time.

Disadvantages:

Unfortunately, there are a couple of minor drawbacks you may experience. The first is the fact that you would loose service during a power outage and the other is limited emergency calling.

Conventional phone service continues by the current supplied through the phone line during a blackout. This isn't possible with Internet phones. When the power goes, there goes VOIP service. Battery backups and power generators that provide electricity are the current solutions to this problem.

Emergency (911) calls are another concern for many potential customers as well. In the event that you need to call 911 but can't speak or have to leave, your call can be traced when dialed from a traditional phone. However, this is not the case with VoIP. Fortunately, there is currently technology being developed called 'e911' that will make this possible, so this will not be a problem for much longer.

VOIP also has sound quality and reliability problems. Data sent across the Internet usually arrives at its destination scrambled. E-mail and documents can be reassembled in the correct order when it arrives. Voice data also arrives scrambled, but it's more complicated because of the real-time nature of VOIP. Some data packets may have to be dropped when they don't arrive in time, in order to make voice connections with the least delay. This can cause brief silences in the audio stream.

Your internet connection speed and the distance of the call are the two biggest factors in the quality of the call. If you are in a high-traffic area this may also cause some loss in the quality of the conversation. Once again, technology is constantly being improved on and this is becoming less and less of an inconvenience.

While the disadvantages mentioned above currently present minor problems, it is expected that these will be corrected by the year 2008 and VoIP technology will have become the industry standard for telephone communication.

About The Author
Mark Hipp is an avid technology and amatuer radio enthusiast. He also manages several websites including:
http://www.vonage-broadband-phone-service.com
http://www.ipod-nano-store.com
http://www.goodasnewmusic.com