Whilst I understand a lot about how the internet and mobile internet works I am not technology specialist by a long shot. What I try and do with this blog and the prepaidplans.com.au website is to demystify a lot of what is promoted so that you can make an informed decision.
One of the topics that has bugged me for a while is the question of what is GPRS data versus 3G data. Whilst there aren’t many providers that still offer GPRS data, there are enough of them and subsequently enough plans that include this as a data option.
The question for the everyday mobile phone owner is does it really matter what type of data they offer as long as the rates are good and the coverage is available.
Let us therefore take a look at the what the real differences are:
GPRS is a 2G technology that allowed mobile phones to extend their usability a lot further than by simply making calls. It is the main technology behind MMS features that allowed users to send pictures, sound clips, and even videos to other MMS capable mobile phones. It has even allowed access to a diluted version of the internet via WAP with speeds that ranged between 56 and 114 kbps. The main problem with GPRS though, aside from its slow connection speed, is the fact that you are being charged on the kilobyte, which means that you would need moderate downloading unless you want a very big bill.
The appearance of 3G technology has expanded the capabilities of mobile phones even further. 3G introduced video calls along with high speed data access that reach speed of up to 384kbps, more than enough for browsing the internet. The introduction of 3G data plans has also made accessing the internet from your 3G compatible handset so much easier and affordable. Prepaid mobile plans offer GBs of data these days, enough to watch and even stream video, download large files as well as all of your basic browsing. Data is charged is various forms, in increments of 10KB, 200KB or even larger increments such as 1MB. Generally the smaller the increment the better.
Beyond 3G we now have 4G. 4G is the fourth generation of cellular communications, a successor to both the 3G and 2G (GPRS) network. One thing to note behind 4G is that you could actually have real speeds 3.5G, or 3.75G.
The promise of 4G is two-fold. Mobile data speeds will be faster — 10x faster than current 3G speeds. It can be faster because it will be a dedicated network for data removing some of the congestion issues associated with 3G. The technology also promises to solve the “last mile” challenge of connecting country areas to the internet.
If you have a handset that is 3G compatible (smart phone or not) then stick with a provider which offers 3G services. I will do a bit of an audit later today on which providers/plans are GPRS at the moment.
If you aren’t necessarily interested in mobile data then disregard this article as it really doesn’t matter what they are offering.