The Future

UMTS is seen by most operators as the panacea for a total and seamless cellular system. MSs will not only have to be tri or even quad band but also multi mode (GSM & WCDMA) thus the complexity will staggering. Initially, the user will probably have to select which type of service they require (Speech or Data) but ultimately this service detection will be done by the network. MSs will become smaller but as the size of the human finger will not alter so there is a limitation in this parameter. Voice control will be the order of day and the user may only have one button to press, the on/off button. Eventually this may even disappear as this function could be achieved simply tapping the MS as is portrayed in the Sci Fi series Star Trek.

What is going to happen to the network is anybody’s guess. Already, there as plans for the use of WANs in buildings where this acts as yet another layer below the pico cell. This is already being trialed as an extension to WCDMA.

Speech, will still for the foreseeable future be the main revenue earner for the operator and combining this with video is likely to be the next major advance.

Perhaps, the speech will be handled on GSM and the video on WCDMA but this will pose some interesting problems on timing and synchronization. At the moment, everyone is concentrating on getting UMTS right and compatible between countries and manufacturers.