This article takes you through the mobile networks’ evolution from 1G to 5G.
The long road of mobile networks’ evolution from 1G to 5G.
In the past few years, we have seen the rise of mobile networks. From “1G to 2G, 3G, 4G, and now 5G“, the whole process of mobile networks’ evolution from 1G to 5G has taken about 30 years.
In the past few years, the web has evolved so much that it’s hard to compare it to anything else in this world of web technology. Let’s go straight back in time, to 1G where it all began.
1G (First Generation Mobile Technology) of the evolution from 1G to 5G
1G is the first generation of mobile communication technology, formulated in the 1980s, it is a cellular wireless telephone system based on analog technology, now an obsolete analog mobile network, in the history of wireless communications, it took the first chair. 1G analog communication technology era, 1G wireless system is designed to transmit only voice traffic and limited by the network capacity. Although coverage was limited and rates were slow, interpersonal communication has since been freed from fixed telephone lines.
AMPS is a typical representative of 1G networks.
The development of 1G began in 1979. It marketed the first generation of telecommunications networks, enabling users to communicate on the go. However, as a new technology, it suffered from low coverage and sound quality problems. In addition, there were no roaming options for users to use. There was no support between different carriers because each telecom operated a unique frequency range.
Even large enterprises are not immune to the drawbacks of 1G. Calls are not encrypted, so it is easy for malicious people to intercept and monitor these calls.
2G (Second Generation Mobile Communication Technology) of the evolution from 1G to 5G
2G is the second generation of cell phone communication technology specification, which changed the analog communication method and opened the way for digital communication with digital voice transmission technology as the core.
Compared with the first generation of mobile communication technology, the second generation of mobile communication has a high degree of confidentiality, and the capacity of the system has also increased significantly, while more data transmission services than 1G, cell phones can start to access the Internet from this generation, and the earliest text messaging has also begun.
2G was the first major evolution in this area. It was a shift in the market from analog to digital radio signals under the GSM standard. Today, it can be considered pre-historic, however, just as 5G is now impressive, 2G marked a milestone in the evolution of technology. It also started services such as SMS and MMS.
The 2G era was also the beginning of the battle for mobile communication standards, with GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), which started in Europe, coming out on top as the most widely adopted mobile communication standard.
2G key features
Data speeds approaching 64kbps. secure encryption standards are provided, and audio quality is significantly clearer during calls. Operates over a bandwidth of 30-200kHz.
In the 2G era, analog communication technology gave way to digital communication technology, which provides wider signal coverage, better call quality and lower communication prices for cell phones.
Both these 1 G and 2G technologies featured voice communication. From the 3G era onwards, everything became different and real communication technology began to mature, data transmission became the keyword, and the emergence and rapid popularity of smartphones brought 3G technology to the ground as a result.
3G (Third Generation Mobile Communication Technology) of the evolution from 1G to 5G
With the integration of 2G, we saw the great network development of 3G. 3G is the third generation of mobile communication technology, which refers to a new generation of the mobile communication system that combines wireless communication with multimedia communication such as the international Internet.
It operates under the UMTS standard and retains much of the success of the 2G spectrum. The new standard is to improve and provide a more reliable experience. But we have to say that for web browsing, 3G is the first network to give satisfactory results. Although these results cannot be compared with the current standard.
On January 7, 2009, China entered the 3G era with the issuance of three 3G licenses, TD-SCDMA for China Mobile, W-CDMA for China Unicom, and WCDMA2000 for China Telecom.
Under 3G, we have higher bandwidth and more stable transmission, video calls and mass data transmission are more common, and mobile communication has more diverse applications. The combination of wireless communications and the Internet has led to the rapid development of smartphones and tablet PCs, and 3G is seen as the key to a new era of mobile communications.
3G key features
Data speeds approaching 2 Mbps. greater bandwidth and data transfer rates. The ability to send and receive large email messages. Increased call clarity was achieved by operating at a greater range over a 15-20 MHz bandwidth.
4G (Fourth Generation Mobile Communication Technology) of the evolution from 1G to 5G
The mobile network changed dramatically in 2009 with the advent of 4G. It utilized key technologies such as MIMO and OFDM and marked the biggest leap in mobile Internet speed. It allowed users to finally dive into the smart aspects of the first smartphones on the go. It is worth noting that initially 4G LTE lacked support for mobile calls, but this was achieved a few years later with VoLTE.
As we enter the 4G era, there is a trend towards further convergence of global mobile communication standards. In terms of impact, 4G can be said to be a communication technology designed specifically for the mobile Internet. Whether in terms of network speed, capacity, and stability, 4G is a significant improvement over the previous generation of 3G technology and can meet the requirements of almost all users for wireless services.
The vastly improved communication speed of 4G networks has opened up a new wave of mobile Internet with the rapid transmission of data such as high-definition images and video.
4G key features
Providing support for interactive multimedia, voice, and video. A 4G phone can now achieve data speeds of upwards of 20 Mbps while reducing the cost per bit. Improved global scalability of mobile network coverage. Support for ad hoc and multi-hop networks.
5G (Fifth Generation Mobile Technology) of the evolution from 1G to 5G
5G is the era of the Internet of Everything. It will be the backbone of IoT technology and other communication areas. It uses a combination of small cells and beamforming to provide ultra-high-speed networks with low latency.
4G vs. 5G, what is the difference between 4G and 5G?
5G key features
Delivers faster speeds, up to 10Gbps, more than 10 times faster than 4G performance. Delivering very low latency, potentially 60-120 times faster than the current 4G latency. Operates over bandwidths from 30 GHz to 300 GHz.
5G is the fifth generation of mobile communications technology, and 5G networks have three main features.
High speed, is not just as simple as downloading a super high definition movie in 3 seconds, VR, AR, and cloud technologies will be seamlessly connected to life.
High reliability and low latency, millisecond communication latency, so that driverless, remote surgery is no longer far away.
A Super large number of terminal networks, reaching millions of terminals per square kilometer, will form a broader and open Internet of things, making it possible for smart homes and smart cities.
5G is significant for the industry and also marks a new economic revolution. But what really makes it better than 4G networks is that 4G is here to boost Internet speeds, while 5G is here to control electronic devices.
Benefits of 5G
Higher transmission speeds (5G is at least 10-100 times faster than 4G LTE) Reduced latency (5G has 10 times lower latency than 4G) Greater connectivity (5G enables 100 times higher traffic capacity) Improved energy efficiency (5G networks may consume 10% less energy compared to existing 4G LTE networks) Better coordination of business processes (with 5G technology, businesses can more efficiently coordinate work under the device)
The download speed of 5G is already crazy at 1 GB per second, and the most intuitive manifestation of the speed is that you can download a high-definition movie in a few seconds, after which it will be involved in various fields, such as smart watches, smart homes, Internet of Things, driverless, tele-education, telemedicine, and other fields.
With the advent of the 5G era, the cell phone industry will continue to innovate, after all, in the 5G ultra-high-speed and ultra-low latency network capacity support, smartphones will have a very large space for change, and perhaps in the future can be holographic projection calls, virtual reality games and other high-tech function can be experienced on the phone.
Disadvantages of 5G
Expensive 5G infrastructure establishment costs
Replacement of existing mobile infrastructure, requiring a large number of base stations and skilled workers for maintenance.
Uncertainty of success
5G technology is still on training wheels and more testing will need to be done to understand its viability.
Limited 5G coverage
Millimeter waves in the 5G spectrum have extremely low penetration and cannot penetrate buildings, trees, walls, etc. without affecting the service.
Currently operating in highly congested radio bands
Many 5G networks are now operating on 6 GHz, which is already crowded with other signals.
Security and privacy concerns
Exponential growth in devices transmitting and accessing high-quality data on the 5G spectrum, providing more entry points for hackers.
From 1G to 5G, mobile technology has come a long way, with technology maturity and application breakthroughs complementing each other. Generally speaking, technology precedes application. Just like when you experience the benefits of 4G, 4G has actually been commercially available for some time. Technology gives rise to new applications, which in turn drive technology to the next level.
Prior to 4G, we barely made use of the high-frequency spectrum. As an important part of 5G, 5G millimeter waves and low and medium frequencies, which have greater bandwidth, higher speed, and lower latency, complement each other and are key to achieving the full vision and potential of 5G.
There is no technology that has only advantages and no disadvantages, the key is to find a better application scenario. Millimeter wave is no different; it may not be the best choice for some applications, but it may be the only choice for others.
While various technical challenges continue to emerge, researchers will use a variety of technologies to solve these challenges. With the evolution from 1G to 5G, we have been solving problems, and the challenges of commercializing 5G millimeter wave technology will be gradually overcome.
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