Philippe Martineau

With the entire telecommunications industry awaiting the launch of 3G networks, there have been conflicting reports about its state, its cost, and its launch date. Not only is it one of the most important events in recent years, it's also one of the most controversial. The market has opened up beyond the established mobile operators and new entrants are keen to stamp out their territory as 3G service providers. Here we examine the reasons for moving beyond 2G, the state of the market, and benefits from the smart-card manufacturer's perspective. The first point to make is that 3G is already a reality with firm footholds in both Europe and Asia. Negative aspects such as the cost factor, the delays, and the lack of mobile equipment have been widely publicized, but despite all this, 3G is ready to go in various pockets around the world. Furthermore, data services are a... (more)