DoCoMo show off 200Mbps Super-3G system
HSDPA has been one of the most exciting connectivity technologies to hit mobile phones this year, offering an average download of 3.6Mbps. What 3G originally promised, HSDPA is finally delivering, with new smartphones finally able to browse the web and download data at broadband speeds.
Even mobile networks have been kind to us, offering us flat rate fees, rather than charging us by the byte (which is handy, when you're downloading 450,000 bytes per second!).
Now, though, Japan's NTT DoCoMo has shown us a glimpse of the future that makes HSDPA look like the 9.6kbps modems of the early '90s. DoCoMo's latest invention, "Super3G", offers a whopping 200Mbps download speeds - and read on to see just what you can do with all that juicy bandwidth!
Rather than just talking about their new technology, DoCoMo have actually demonstrated a prototype in action at the CEATEC trade fair in Japan. As you can see from the pic above, this is still very much a prototype. The "mobile" part of the system is the huge box on the left - not exactly what you call mobile at the moment!
But then, back in 1997, early 3G systems were housed in a van, which acted as a mobile handset by driving around to test the handover of the 3G signal from basestation to basestation. It's not until the technology is proven that miniaturisation begins.
DoCoMo used this prototype system to demonstrate 12 video streams being delivered at 15Mbps each (left), with live video transmission between two video camcorders going on at the same time. In total, the system is capable of download speeds of 200Mbps and upload speeds of 25Mbps.
That's not all, though - DoCoMo is aiming for a maximum top data rate of 300Mbps, and reckon they can have the technology ready by 2010.
Imagine that - 300Mbps download speeds on your mobile phone. Once that goal is reached, it'll be the end of ISPs as we know them. For that matter, it'll probably be the end of fixed line telephones as well. With a mobile device that's always with you, that can offer data transfers of 300Mbps, why on earth would anyone need a fixed line connection?
The future, as someone once said, is extremely bright indeed (unless you're an ISP!).
[Source: TechOn]
