Updated 13 Feb, 2012, 6:30 pm IST

How Mobile Internet Made The Net Better

04 Feb, 2010, 4:59 pm IST | Shayne Rana

Mobile internet can be considered an extremely accessible form of web access and in all facets has made the internet so much better.

It's quite remarkable to follow the evolution of the internet, the ‘World Wide Web’ and more so now since it’s been nominated to win the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s come a long way from being just a simple computer networking system. From big chunky servers that occupied what could only be considered Area 51-like warehouses to a much more streamlined initiative, the internet is still constantly evolving and expanding.

What has certainly made things more interesting is the fact that the vastness of cyberspace is even more accessible now thanks to its trickling down into the mobile phone segment. From pocket PCs to PDAs and Palm Pilots we’ve come down to the very latest mobile handsets that are being designed around users' encompassing need to access the web. The Mobile internet made its humble appearance over a decade ago back in 1997 with analog cell phones. It was called WAP, Wireless Application Protocol, which is still better than what it could have been which is WIP- Wireless Internet Protocol. As odd as WAP sounds it’s better than WIP.

WAP may not have been as fast but back in the day this was the best you could get. If you happen to be of the older mobile generation just recall the prices and that’ll give you a clue. As slow as it may seem with today's 3.5G speeds, back then WAP and later WAP 2.0 (2002), was the easiest way to get information quickly for pretty much anything you were looking for even to settle silly arguments. Of course all of this is all pre-social networking, in the time when we would call or message someone to know ‘what was on their mind’.
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Next up was General packet radio service or as we know it to be – GPRS (2.5G) that made the mobile scene a little faster. It rolled out sometime in 2000 but was just a few steps above WAP. It did however open up the avenue a little more of connecting to the net for more than just information. We were able to check emails and even have online chats. Of course this also meant hefty bills as unlimited plans were still a thought.

Next came Enhanced GPRS, EGPRS which is popularly known as EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) that was first tested in 2003. Speeds were faster and the web opened up tremendous possibilities for wireless mobile connectivity with better rendering of web pages, Flash support, downloading emails, online chatting and so much more. Mobile internet also meant you wouldn’t miss a beat of your life, work or otherwise as subscribers could receive emails anytime and anywhere, which meant, business as usual, to an extent, for the working man.

3G or 3rd Generation is the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) standard. Although it was being tested much earlier in the CDMA field, the first commercial 3G network was launched by Hutchison Telecommunications branded as Three in 2003. While we still may have to wait to see it run full scale in India, the Western World and some parts of ours as well, are ahead of us. 3G makes mobile internet access a breeze. Considered to be as good as a home or office PC connection if not better in some cases, 3G connectivity is where a majority of the world is at right now. 3G makes video calling possible, making communication even more intimate. 3G enabled devices have made communication seamless from any perspective be it business or personal.

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While we’re still in the budding stage for 3G technology, the rest of the world, well most of it at least, has moved on to 3.5G and it's only recently that 4G went commercial in Norway and Sweden. �

While I have no doubt that things will only get faster, I am worried about how far behind we will be with regard to the rest of the planet. As for the Internet being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, honestly, I’m not surprised. The web, in all its limitless space has made it easy to gain access to relevant knowledge and made social interaction with all parts of the globe nothing more than a few clicks of a button. It’s the easiest way to reach out to people with messages that matter - be it poverty in Africa or natural calamities in Haiti. The world is closer than you think and while it may not be tangible it’s still a way to ‘reach out’.

Long live the World Wide Web!

Tags: Internet Nobel Peace Prize