NextG vs 3G stupid question(s)

OK, got a new phone the other day as a freebie. I'm now playing catchup
trying to work out the best network to hook it up to. It's not something
that I've been keeping up with unfortunately.

The phone supports UMTS on 850 & 2100Mhz as well as Quad Band GSM. HTC TyTn
II, for the curious.

My only option for carrier is Telstra, unless I can give a very good
business reason for going elsewhere, like zero coverage at home for example.
So basically no choice.given that I live on a hill.

Anyway ... I'm currently on a plain old GSM SIM from the old days The
phone does work with a GSM SIM, but it seems mean to hobble it in that way.
Onward and upward, so they say...
I rarely use data and the small amount I do use is trivial in size. SMS
message sized chit-chat back to a server, for example. So I'm not really
going to be a big user of 3G services at all, other than voice 99% of the
time.

Should I be going to NextG or 3G?
Is the only practical difference the frequency of those 2 3G networks?
I see 3G as being advertised as 3G/GSM. This implies, to me at least, that
the 3G network falls back to GSM, whereas NextG doesn't. Is this the case?
Are there international roaming issues with either network?
Will NextG roam to GSM internationally?

Cheers,
OppyLock

Oppylock <yeah@right.com> wrote:
> OK, got a new phone the other day as a freebie. I'm now playing
> catchup trying to work out the best network to hook it up to. It's
> not something that I've been keeping up with unfortunately.
>
> The phone supports UMTS on 850 & 2100Mhz as well as Quad Band GSM. HTC TyTn II, for the curious.
>
> My only option for carrier is Telstra, unless I can give a very good
> business reason for going elsewhere, like zero coverage at home for
> example. So basically no choice.given that I live on a hill.
>
> Anyway ... I'm currently on a plain old GSM SIM from the old days The phone does work with a GSM SIM, but it seems
> mean to hobble it in
> that way. Onward and upward, so they say...
> I rarely use data and the small amount I do use is trivial in size. SMS message sized chit-chat back to a server, for
> example. So I'm
> not really going to be a big user of 3G services at all, other than
> voice 99% of the time.
>
> Should I be going to NextG or 3G?

3G if you must stop using 2G for no good reason, just because
there is a lot more competition with 3G and none for NextG.

> Is the only practical difference the frequency of those 2 3G networks?

Nope. The price also matters.

> I see 3G as being advertised as 3G/GSM. This implies, to me at least, that the 3G network falls back to GSM, whereas
> NextG doesn't. Is this the case?

Nope.

> Are there international roaming issues with either network?

Nope.

> Will NextG roam to GSM internationally?

Yep. And nationally too if you can find somewhere where there is no NextG coverage.

Oppylock wrote...

> Anyway ... I'm currently on a plain old GSM SIM from the old days The
> phone does work with a GSM SIM, but it seems mean to hobble it in that way.
> Onward and upward, so they say...
> I rarely use data and the small amount I do use is trivial in size. SMS
> message sized chit-chat back to a server, for example. So I'm not really
> going to be a big user of 3G services at all, other than voice 99% of the
> time.

SMS "data" doesn't use the 3G network. However, MMS may if it's available.
Otherwise it uses 2G over the internet but it's a hell of a lot slower.

if you're with NextG then MMSes will go via the internet but at
significantly faster speeds.

> Should I be going to NextG or 3G?

Go with NextG. Coverage is heaps better than GSM (and 3/Telstra 3G),
particularly as you get outside of the major metro areas such as
Melbourne, Sydney, etc..

> Is the only practical difference the frequency of those 2 3G networks?
> I see 3G as being advertised as 3G/GSM. This implies, to me at least, that
> the 3G network falls back to GSM, whereas NextG doesn't. Is this the case?

Yes, that's how it works. Not totally sure what NextG does, though as I've
never been in an area where there is say, GSM but no NextG. Either there
is NextG or there is nothing if there is no GSM coverage.

> Are there international roaming issues with either network?

Yep, cost. If you're using it for business or work then this is probably
not an issue. But if you travel a bit O/S and want to take the phone with
you, then you're better off getting a pre-paid SIM card when you get there
and using that.

On Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:00:38 +1100, Snapper wrote:

> Oppylock wrote...
>
>> Anyway ... I'm currently on a plain old GSM SIM from the old days The
>> phone does work with a GSM SIM, but it seems mean to hobble it in that way.
>> Onward and upward, so they say...
>> I rarely use data and the small amount I do use is trivial in size. SMS
>> message sized chit-chat back to a server, for example. So I'm not really
>> going to be a big user of 3G services at all, other than voice 99% of the
>> time.
>
> SMS "data" doesn't use the 3G network. However, MMS may if it's available.
> Otherwise it uses 2G over the internet but it's a hell of a lot slower.
>
> if you're with NextG then MMSes will go via the internet but at
> significantly faster speeds.

WTF?

On Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:00:38 +1100, Snapper wrote:

> Oppylock wrote...
>
>> Anyway ... I'm currently on a plain old GSM SIM from the old days The
>> phone does work with a GSM SIM, but it seems mean to hobble it in that way.
>> Onward and upward, so they say...
>> I rarely use data and the small amount I do use is trivial in size. SMS
>> message sized chit-chat back to a server, for example. So I'm not really
>> going to be a big user of 3G services at all, other than voice 99% of the
>> time.
>
> SMS "data" doesn't use the 3G network. However, MMS may if it's available.
> Otherwise it uses 2G over the internet but it's a hell of a lot slower.
>
> if you're with NextG then MMSes will go via the internet but at
> significantly faster speeds.

WTF?

On Thu, 6 Mar 2008 19:42:22 +1030, Horry wrote:

> On Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:00:38 +1100, Snapper wrote:
>
>> Oppylock wrote...
>>
>>> Anyway ... I'm currently on a plain old GSM SIM from the old days The
>>> phone does work with a GSM SIM, but it seems mean to hobble it in that way.
>>> Onward and upward, so they say...
>>> I rarely use data and the small amount I do use is trivial in size. SMS
>>> message sized chit-chat back to a server, for example. So I'm not really
>>> going to be a big user of 3G services at all, other than voice 99% of the
>>> time.
>>
>> SMS "data" doesn't use the 3G network. However, MMS may if it's available.
>> Otherwise it uses 2G over the internet but it's a hell of a lot slower.
>>
>> if you're with NextG then MMSes will go via the internet but at
>> significantly faster speeds.
>
> WTF?

Don't make me say it again!

Snapper wrote:

> SMS "data" doesn't use the 3G network. However, MMS may if
> it's available. Otherwise it uses 2G over the internet but
> it's a hell of a lot slower.

I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Of course SMSs can be
sent via a NextG (UMTS, 3G) service. Otherwise they couldn't
be transmitted in those areas with NextG-only coverage.

As with the old GSM service, they can use either the packet
domain or "circuit switched" within 3G. If Telstra allows
either, then that preference is potentially configurable on the
handset. See 3GPP 27.007, section 10.1.20.

John