3G v.s. Macau Teenagers
By Alberto Kwok, Connie Kuan, Helena Leung

Have you thought of the situation in which you can chat with the one you miss face-to-face anytime and in anyplace? Have you imagined that you can watch MTV, news and TV programs wherever you are? All the high-tech functions could soon be enjoyed with the latest micro computer - the 3G (Third Generation) communication. Bids for two 3G licenses of operation will be invited at the end of 2005. How do Macau teenagers perceive the 3G service?

This group of reporters of Umac Bridges conducted a survey on April 2 of local teenagers' attitude toward 3G communication. According to the survey, over 70 percent of teenagers know nothing about the functions of 3G; neither do they know that a 3G license will be given within a year in Macau. Despite their little knowledge of the service, all of them are looking forward to the new 3G gadget and they are willing to pay around MOP101-200 monthly.

It is widely reported that the 3G stands for the third generation of wireless communication technology. It refers to pending improvements in wireless data and voice communications through any of a variety of proposed standards. 3G wireless networks are capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 384Kb/sec. 3G is considered high-speed or broadband mobile Internet access, and in the future 3G networks are expected to reach speeds of more than 2M bit/sec

In fact, using 3G, people can communicate with others face-to-face through video calling, reporters and companies can use 3G to send news or messages whenever they need.The Office of the Telecommunications Authority of Hong Kong points out that 3G also includes media function, camera, music features, Internet, and video call. 3G technologies are turning phones and other devices into multimedia players, making it possible to download music and video clips. Moreover, 3G is becoming an integral part of modern business life: Internet and Intranet access, video-conferencing, and interactive application sharing. 3G would bring more business opportunities in the future.

The survey includes interviews with 60 teenagers (around ages of 15-22) in the street of Largo Do Senado, the busiest area in Macau. Around 70 percent of them are willing to try 3G in the future and their prior consideration is the cost of 3G service; Over 90 percent of the interviewees anticipate the 3G service may cost around $201- $300 per month, but they are only willing to pay around $101-$200 ; Most of them think that the ease in visual communication is one of the advantages of 3G, however it's disadvantage is less privacy; all the interviewees believe that 3G is useful in our daily life and popular with teenagers. Apart from teenage users, they also think that 3G may be suitable for couples, businessmen, people living overseas, and the disabled people.

Teenagers are always the main group that would keep in touch with trendy stuff, like fashion and high tech devices; cell phones are one of the trendy products on which they mostly focus their attention, as the cell phone nowadays has somehow become an essential device in our daily life. The pace of technological improvement and service enhancement is escalating swiftly along with the opening market of the telecommunication industry. As a result, the 3G wireless communication technology is seen as a coming excitement in mobile communication.

"Of course I am looking forward to this new service, but prices and the stability of the network may be my major consideration," said one of the interviewees, Elaine (surname is not given), around 20 years old. In fact, Elaine is not the only one who pays most attention to prices and quality of the network, all the interviewees have similar concerns.

"The monthly fee must be much higher than Hong Kong," said Angus Kuan, who works in the telecommunication field. Kuan also said that because Macau's telecommunication market is much smaller than Hong Kong, the expenditure may become higher for the service supplier. He estimated that the monthly payment would be around $350, which teenagers may find difficult to afford, he added.

Since a visual chat is a symbol of the new generation of mobile communication, it may create a big effect on peoples' daily lives. "What could be funnier than chatting with my girlfriend and see her face live on the cell screen at the same time? It's just fantastic!" said Paul Chiu who is a Year 3 student of the Institute of Polytechnic. Similar responses kept coming again and again from interviewees, who believed that 3G enables people to chat face-to-face and make their relationship closer. However, some of them pointed out that the 3G service is not necessary in Macau because Macau is a small place and people can meet each other very easily.

3G service in Hong Kong was introduced on December 25, 2003 and the price is around HK$123-183 monthly. At the moment, there are about 22,000 customers using the 3G service in Hong Kong. The current three mobile service providers in Macau are CTM, Hutchison and Smartone telecommunication companies and the mystery of who could win the two 3G licenses will be unveiled at the end of 2005.

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