Mobile services in the 1G and 2G are dominated by regular voice services, offered primarily in circuit switched network architecture. In the 2G, however, the SMS service has also been an important service. Furthermore, IP connectivity and Internet access have been the drivers of the development towards 2.5G and 3G. It is generally accepted, particularly in 3G, that the data and Internet type of services will dominate the 3G markets. Furthermore, the voice services will be further differentiated and will not remain as a unique and coherent set of services as we know them today.
The mobile services can be divided in two categories:
- Inter-personal communication services: These are the main services in the current mobile networks, with voice services as the absolute dominant one.
- Data and other communication services: These are primarily communication services between a service provider (or a workplace, machine or application) and the end-user. These services are developed rapidly on the Internet and the majority of them are based on IP protocols provided on the Internet and /or other IP based networks.