Mobile Phone News
Fourth Generation By 2012: G4 mobile phone technology, nowadays better known as Long Term Evolution or LTE, is unlikely to arrive in the UK until 2012. LTE promises several benefits for the mobile phone user, including download rates of up to 300 Mbps off peak and 100 Mbps on peak. This technology will enable a whole range of new data driven applications, and is considered to be one of the most important advances in mobile phone technology. Already an early version of the technology with download speeds of 160 Mbps is being introduced in a number of countries, and this is encouraging fixed broadband providers to improve their services or face going out of business. The delay for introducing it in the UK relates to the availability of the 900 MHz radio spectrum.
Jobs Available – apply by SMS: We have all heard about the school pupil who apparently completed an examination paper in abbreviated text (lol), however as the actual exam paper never appeared in the media it is now thought to be a hoax. However a mobile phone company has asked job applicants to submit their applications – by text. Their applications are restricted to 160 characters (which equates to about 40 words on grammatical language, but of course far more with abbreviated text) The company is seeking candidates with a special creative flair, and it believes that such candidates can be identified by their ability to express themselves in a single SMS.
Increased Penalties Proposed for Using Mobile Whilst Driving: Currently anyone caught using their mobile phone whist driving a car is liable to an on the spot fine of £60 along with three penalty points on their driving license. This seems to have had little effect and drivers continue to use their mobiles even though they could easily use hands free technologies such as Bluetooth. There has now been a call for the penalties to be increased and a recent survey of motorists has shown that 33% of them are in favour of introducing a driving ban of six months. Around half of those surveyed want the fine to be doubled and a third want to see the penalty points increased to five. Some were in favour of a community service sentence.