OPenQuiZWeB- DependentPrepositions (05)

PHONE NETWORKS ON BRINK OF COLLAPSE

By Jeremy Iston

The Ever-Growing demand (1) smartphones has placed an unexpected strain on the world’s mobile phone networks.

Smartphones are full of applications designed to send and receive emails, surf the Internet, watch online videos and access social networking sites. Although the mobile phone network has been upgraded to deal with the tasks (2) transmitting this kind of data, it was originally made (3) the transmission of basic phone calls and text messages, and is therefore struggling to find a way (4) dealing with these increasing demands.

It is sophisticated applications on the new smartphones which are responsible (5) most of this increase (6) cellular traffic. To ensure that information available (7) their users is kept constantly up to date, some of these applications connect to the network every eight seconds. Others continously stream information or stay logged on for hours while downloading videos or messages. This has the effect (8) monopolising the network and slowing down speeds for other users. Phones crowded (9) these data-hungry applications are selling at a phenomenal rate and are popular (10) many young people. In the UK over 60,000 phones that use the Android wireless system are sold every day.

If demand continues to grow at this rate the entire system is in danger (11) collapsing. What is the solution (12) this problem? The latest LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology can deal with much larger volumes of traffic, but requires new phone masts and new handsets. The expense (13) installing the new 5G network and producing new handsets means that the prospect (14) such a system being adopted worldwide is unlikely in the immediate future. The alternative is to build more transmitters. We may be fond (15) our mobile phones, but do we really want more of these eyesores cluttering up our cities and countryside?