General effects: people’s lifestyles and mobile communications
Fourth generation (4G) mobile communication systems are expected to be realized around 2010. World Over’s research on 4G (4th generation) mobile communication is in progress since last 6 years. The technology is still evolving, but countries have already begun to commit to its implementation. India has said that it would go from 2G to 4G without going through 3G technology. China, Korea and Japan are jointly developing 4G phones; China will implement 4G technology for the Beijing Olympics. WiMax technology is on its last legs because it is not compatible with VOIP. Data transfers will take place at LAN speeds of 100 Mbps. The world is looking towards 4G to transform the way people do business every day. Once the technology evolves, the handheld phone used in 4G mobile communications will be an all-in-one device for use. ¢ Education, Arts and Sciences ¢ Business activities outside the office ¢ Online gaming and downloading music/video content ¢ Visual communication ¢ Buying and liquidating merchandise ¢ Daily life ¢ Work ¢ Nursing and medical care ¢ Emergency medical treatment ¢ Disaster management.
People’s lifestyles and mobile communications
4G mobile communication systems can have an even greater impact on people’s lives, causing changes in lifestyles and transforming our living environments, the way we do business and the social system. 4G mobile systems are likely to penetrate widely and deeply into our daily lives, to create a new information and communications environment in our society. The use of mobile communications services will be taken for granted in people’s daily lives, and their behavior may change significantly from conventional behavior patterns. , It will allow people to study, play, work and shop literally anywhere they want. As a consequence, people will be freed from the limitations and restrictions of space, and will be able to choose more freely where they want to be. Schools, offices and homes will not disappear as physical space, but the meaning of “place” and “space” could be very different from our conventional thinking, a great transformation of business structure, particularly in consumer-oriented industries, and the emergence of new businesses. the service offering may change to varying degrees to a structure where “a service is delivered to the user” rather than “users are required to go out to receive the service”. Mobile government services and distance education are likely to be provided solely as an application on mobile networks. Although it may be difficult to realize a large-scale online medical service immediately, an environment in which doctors with advanced mobile medical devices visit patients’ homes to provide treatment using special mobile services is considered possible enough. Advances in mobile services are likely to expand markets for a wide range of products often used in daily life, including mobile terminals, information devices, home networks, smart vehicles, etc.
It may not be an exaggeration to say that the service that has most drastically transformed people’s lifestyle in the last decade is mobile communications, such as cell phones and PHS. Ten years ago, cell phones were still too expensive and bulky to carry around, therefore they were only used by a limited number of business and other users. However, after the explosive growth of the late 1990s, mobile communications have become the most widely used means of communication for many users. Also, with the creation of e-mail, content services, i.e. ringtones and games, and other applications such as web information services for mobile phones, mobile communications have brought much fun and convenience to life. people’s daily lives, and have even caused some changes in the balance of power between various media outlets.
In the next ten years, mobile communications services are expected to continue to advance and have an even greater impact on people’s lives, leading to changes in lifestyles and transforming our living environments, the way we do business and the social system. Due to the advancement of mobile services, 4G mobile systems are expected to become much more widely used and closely related to our daily lives than they are today. For example, through the use of mobile terminals equipped with large-scale settlement capabilities, people could use mobile devices as a means of secure electronic settlement for purchases they make in stores or vending machines around the city. If strong personnel authentication becomes a reality through bio-authentication technologies, people will be able to access a variety of services, including local government administrative services, from their mobile terminals. A significant improvement in data transmission rates will allow users to obtain and enjoy advanced game content and video software, etc., in an instant, regardless of their location.
Business mail transactions with a large data attachment can be carried out without stress in mobile environments, which can make the word “desk work” obsolete. People will be able to receive the necessary navigation information easily every time they go out, and they may no longer feel uncomfortable due to the lack of information. In addition, in the event of anomalies, such as an accident or natural disaster, people will be able to make the necessary contacts immediately from virtually anywhere, improving the safety level of our lives.
As described above, 4G mobile systems are likely to penetrate widely and deeply into our daily lives, to create a new information and communications environment in our society. The use of mobile communications services will be taken for granted in people’s daily lives, and their behavior may change significantly from conventional behavior patterns.
Traditionally, people used various living spaces of different functionality or meaning (home, school, workplace, bank, department store, hospital, to name a few) for specific purposes. Mobile services, however, can provide many of these features that transcend spaces. In other words, it allows people to study, play, work and shop literally anywhere they want. As a consequence, people will free themselves from the limitations and restrictions of space and will be able to choose more freely where they want to be.
This is a transformation from a highly constrained “space-based lifestyle” to a freer and more flexible “object-oriented lifestyle.” Of course, schools, offices and homes will not disappear as physical space, but the meaning of “place” and “space” could be very different from our conventional thinking.