An article in The Wall Street Journal notes that UMTS services available in Europe bear little resemblance to what was touted. And this is a surprise to whom?
But today, most of the 3G networks in Europe and some in the U.S. run at less than one-sixth of that theoretical speed. Cellphone service providers now tend to talk about 3G as an evolution, rather than a revolution. “There was this train of thought that 3G was a big discontinuity,” says Marco De Benedetti, chief executive of Telecom Italia Mobile, a unit of Telecom Italia SpA. “I do not share that vision. It is one additional step.”
Even though commercial 3G services are now widespread, it is clear the technology is still a work in progress. Experts say 3G networks don’t always work well inside buildings because walls interfere with the signal. Even outside, the net-works can feel ponderous because they don’t respond instantaneously to each request by a user. Like any wireless technology, 3G can also be a big drain on cellphone and laptop batteries.
I told you so. There. I feel so much better.
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