Published: October 10, 2009 10:21 pm      

3G provides blazing fast wireless communications

Not all local providers are up-to-speed, but plan to upgrade

The newest generation of mobile communications is connecting southern West Virginians to the World Wide Web at lightning-fast speeds.

3G, or 3rd generation, has come to Raleigh, Fayette, Greenbrier, and surrounding counties.

Devices like Blackberries, iPhones and smartphones allow wireless customers to access the Web from their cellular phones.

“What 3G really represents is the speed at which your data flows,” explained Mike Minnis, public relations director for nTelos. “It would be like comparing dial-up to DSL.”

Under the 2G system, he said, some Internet applications were so slow that clients chose not to use them — a pitfall that 3G eradicates.

“3G makes applications a little more practical for you,” he said. “Your user experience is going to be much better if you’re surfing the Web.”

“2G” emerged during the 1990’s, when mobile operators used one of two digital voice standards in the United States.

Some carriers adopted IS-95, which used Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) to multiplex up to 64 calls per channel in the 800 MHz band.

Many operators worldwide adopted the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) standard.

GSM used Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to multiplex up to 8 calls per channel in the 900 and 1800 MHz bands.

To get to 3G, mobile carriers upgraded existing networks and simultaneously planned new mobile broadband networks, which led to the establishment of two 3G families: 3GPP and 3GPP2.

AT&T employs GSM, while nTelos, US Cellular and Verizon use CDMA.

So far, cellular carriers nTelos and U.S. Cellular have upgraded to 3G in southern West Virginia.

“We feel very good about the user experience today for the applications that are out there,” said Minnis. “On our 3G service, if you want to stream video to a device, it does it fine.”

Ntelos spent $90 million last year to upgrade its network in West Virginia and Virginia in order to offer 3G and to add more than 100 cell sites to improve coverage, he said.

Although AT&T is currently in the process of upgrading to 3G in the area, their 2G system allows for backward compatibility, according to AT&T spokeswoman Ellen Webner.

“This means that customers can move seamlessly between 2G and 3G networks across the state,” said Webner. “That means you don’t have be on the 3G network to use a 3G device, like the iPhone or Blackberry.

“As we expand the 3G network in West Virginia, we also continue to make enhancements to the 2G network.”

Verizon currently does not offer 3G service in Raleigh County, mainly because Verizon just came into the Beckley market around year ago, said Laura Merritt, a spokeswoman for Verizon.

“Millions of dollars were invested in the network at the time, so while there is nothing planned at this point, we did make a significant investment,” said Merritt.

She added that plans are in the works to improve the Verizon network in some areas of Fayette County and along Interstate 79.

Representatives of Sprint and Cingular did not immediately return phone calls and e-mails.



The 3G footprint is especially evident in more rural areas, according to spokespersons for local cellular carriers.

“Air cards,” offered by nTelos, and U.S. Cellular, have unexpectedly helped clients in rural regions get faster Internet speeds via 3G service.

An air card (Internet data card) is a device that allows a laptop computer to access the Internet via their mobile phone broadband connection.

In areas like Hico, Ansted and Jumping Branch, U.S. Cellular customers had been without broadband Internet service, said Melissa Watkins, public relations counsel for U.S. Cellular in the mid-Atlantic region.

With air cards and the 3G networks, rural customers now have faster, wireless Internet service.

“The air card brings the (fast) wireless to them for the first time,” noted Watkins.

Minnis pointed out that with Internet data cards, 3G dowloading on laptops will be akin to a “DSL experience, except mobile.”

He said more and more clients are opting to have their cell phone provider as their only Internet provider now that 3G is available.

“If you get nTelos mobile broadband service, you have it at home,” he said. “If you want to take your laptop, you can go anywhere (that US Cellular offers coverage).

“The data plan works on the Sprint Nationwide 3G network as well,” he said. “It allows more flexibility.”

— E-mail: jfarrish@register-herald.com