List of wireless network technologies

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Cellular network standards and generation timeline Cellular network standards and generation timeline.svg
Cellular network standards and generation timeline

This is a list of generations of wireless network technologies in mobile telecommunications.

Contents

Comparison of generations
GenerationStandard(s)Theoretical
maximum download
speed*
Typical
download
speed*
Theoretical
maximum upload
speed*
Typical
upload
speed*
Frequency
band
Channel
spacing
Maximum range (distance from antenna)Year of
commercial
implementation
0GSN, SN+2B/s50-150MHz1946
0.5GSI200-350MHz1958
analog & digital ↓
1GNMT, AMPS, TACS…400-450MHz1979
1.5GD-AMPS30kHz
digital ↓
2G GSM 800-1900MHz1991
CDMAone800-1900MHz
2G PDC
2.5G GPRS 48kB/s2000
2.9GEDGE/EGPRS2003
3GUMTS7.2Mbit/s2Mbit/s400MHz-3GHz2001
CDMA2000400MHz-3GHz
3.5GHSPA
3.75GHSPA+ **42Mbit/s11Mbit/s
3.95GLTE **2009
(Mobile) WiMAX **
4G LTE ** 150Mbit/s50Mbit/s5-20(40)MHz
(Mobile) WiMAX **
HSPA+ **
4.5GLTE+/LTE Advanced2007
WiMAX 22007
4.9GLTE Advanced Pro
5G NR 2018

* latest and optimal iteration of technology
** originally not considered 4G, only after a revision of 4G specification

0G


0G systems did not use cellullar systems. Referred to as pre-cellular (or sometimes zero generation, that is, 0G mobile ) systems.

1G

1G or (1-G) refers to the first generation of cellular network technology. These are the analog telecommunication standards that were introduced in 1979 and the early to mid-1980s and continued until being replaced by 2G digital telecommunications. The main difference between these two mobile telephone generations is that in 1G systems the audio was encoded as analog radio signals (though call set-up and other network communications were digital), while 2G networks were entirely digital.

1.5G

2G

2G (or 2-G) provides three primary benefits over their predecessors: phone conversations are digitally encrypted; 2G systems are significantly more efficient on the spectrum allowing for far greater mobile phone penetration levels; and 2G introduced data services for mobile, starting with SMS (Short Message Service) plain text-based messages. 2G technologies enable the various mobile phone networks to provide the services such as text messages, picture messages and MMS (Multimedia Message Service). It has 3 main services: Bearer services is one of them which is also known as data services and communication.

Second generation 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja (now part of Elisa Oyj) in 1991. [1]

The North American Standards IS-54 and IS-136 were also second-generation (2G) mobile phone systems, known as (Digital AMPS) and used TDMA with three time slots in each 30 kHz channel, supporting 3 digitally compressed calls in the same spectrum as a single analog call in the previous AMPS standard. This was later changed to 6 half rate time slots for more compressed calls. It was once prevalent throughout the Americas, particularly in the United States and Canada since the first commercial network was deployed in 1993 on AT&T and Rogers Wireless Networks.

IS-95 was the first ever CDMA-based digital cellular technology. It was developed by Qualcomm using Code Division Multiple Access and later adopted as a standard by the Telecommunications Industry Association in TIA/EIA/IS-95 release published in 1995. It was marketed as CDMAOne and deployed globally including China Unicom in 2002 and Verizon in the United States, competing directly with GSM services offered by AT&T and T-Mobile.

2.5G

2.5G denotes 2G-systems that have implemented a packet-switched domain in addition to the circuit-switched domain. It does not necessarily provide faster service because bundling of timeslots is used for circuit-switched data services (HSCSD) as well. Also called General Packet Radio Service or GPRS

2.75G

GPRS networks evolved to EDGE networks with the introduction of 8PSK encoding.

3G

3G technology provides an information transfer rate of at least 144 kbit/s. Later 3G releases, often denoted 3.5G and 3.75G, also provide mobile broadband access of several Mbit/s to smartphones and mobile modems in laptop computers. This ensures it can be applied to wireless voice telephony, mobile Internet access, fixed wireless Internet access, video calls and mobile TV technologies.

CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards for sending voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. It is a backwards-compatible successor to second-generation cdmaOne (IS-95) set of standards and used especially in North America and South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It was standardized in the international 3GPP2 standards body, The name CDMA2000 denotes a family of standards that represent the successive, evolutionary stages of the underlying technology. These are:

A new generation of cellular standards has appeared approximately every tenth year since 1G systems were introduced in 1981/1982. Each generation is characterized by new frequency bands, higher data rates and non–backward-compatible transmission technology. The first 3G networks were introduced in 1998.

3.5G

3.5G is a grouping of disparate mobile telephony and data technologies designed to provide better performance than 3G systems, as an interim step towards the deployment of full 4G capability. The technology includes:

3.75G

Evolved High Speed Packet Access, or HSPA+, or HSPA(Plus), or HSPAP is a technical standard for wireless broadband telecommunication. It is the second phase of High Speed Packet Access (HSPA).

3.95G

4G

4G provides, in addition to the usual voice and other services of 3G, mobile broadband Internet access, for example to laptops with wireless modems, to smartphones, and to other mobile devices. Potential and current applications include amended mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conferencing, 3D television, and cloud computing.

LTE (Long Term Evolution) is commonly marketed as 4G LTE, but it did not initially meet the technical criteria of a 4G wireless service, as specified in the 3GPP Release 8 and 9 document series for LTE Advanced. Given the competitive pressures of WiMAX and its evolution with Advanced new releases, it has become synonymous with 4G. It was first commercially deployed in Norway and Stockholm in 2009 and in the United States by Verizon in 2011 in their newly acquired 700 MHz band.

4.5G

4.5G provides better performance than 4G systems, as a process step towards deployment of full 5G capability.[ citation needed ]

The technology includes:

4.5G is marketed by AT&T as 5GE.

5G

5G is a major phase of mobile telecommunications standards beyond the 4G/IMT Advanced standards.

NGMN Alliance or Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance define 5G network requirements as:

Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance feels that 5G needs to be rolled out in 2021-2023 to meet business and consumer demands. [3] In addition to simply providing faster speeds, they predict that 5G networks will also need to meet the needs of new use-cases such as the Internet of things (IoT) as well as broadcast-like services and lifeline communications in times of disaster.

3GPP has set an early revision, non-standalone release of 5G called New Radio (5G NR). [4] It will be deployed in two ways, Mobile and Fixed Wireless. The specification is subdivided into two frequency bands, FR1 (<6 GHz) and FR2 (mmWave) respectively. [5]

5.25G

6G

6G has been in development since 2017, and multiple specifications are being proposed. However, none of them have achieved universal acceptance. Competitors include Xiaomi and Nokia. 6G is expected to offer faster speeds than 5G but with a shorter range. The IEEE recommends the use of frequencies ranging from 100 GHz to 3 THz, as these frequencies are relatively unused and would allow for exploration of new frequency bands. [6] The methods of deployment of cellular networks is undetermined. An option is to install a 6G tower at every building. The second option would involve integrating the functions of a 6G tower into devices like smartphones, allowing these devices to create their own cell for other users. The commercial release date is estimated to be 2028~2030. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third generation mobile cellular system for networks based on the GSM standard. Developed and maintained by the 3GPP, UMTS is a component of the International Telecommunication Union IMT-2000 standard set and compares with the CDMA2000 standard set for networks based on the competing cdmaOne technology. UMTS uses wideband code-division multiple access (W-CDMA) radio access technology to offer greater spectral efficiency and bandwidth to mobile network operators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celcom</span> Malaysian Telecommunications Company

Celcom Axiata Berhad is the oldest mobile telecommunications provider in Malaysia. Celcom is a member of the Axiata group of companies. Celcom was merged with Digi to form CelcomDigi on 1 December 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3G</span> Third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology

3G is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. It is the upgrade over 2G, 2.5G, GPRS and 2.75G Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution networks, offering faster data transfer, and better voice quality. This network was superseded by 4G, and later on by 5G. This network is based on a set of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunications use services and networks that comply with the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications by the International Telecommunication Union. 3G finds application in wireless voice telephony, mobile Internet access, fixed wireless Internet access, video calls and mobile TV.

2G is a short notation for second-generation cellular network, a group of technology standards employed for cellular networks. 2G was commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja in 1991. After 2G was launched, the previous mobile wireless network systems were retroactively dubbed 1G. While radio signals on 1G networks are analog, radio signals on 2G networks are digital, though both systems use digital signaling to connect cellular radio towers to the rest of the mobile network system. 2G was superseded by 3G technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WiMAX</span> Wireless broadband standard

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options.

4G is the fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology, succeeding 3G and preceding 5G. A 4G system must provide capabilities defined by ITU in IMT Advanced. Potential and current applications include amended mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conferencing, and 3D television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cellular network</span> Communication network

A cellular network or mobile network is a telecommunications network where the link to and from end nodes is wireless and the network is distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver. These base stations provide the cell with the network coverage which can be used for transmission of voice, data, and other types of content. A cell typically uses a different set of frequencies from neighboring cells, to avoid interference and provide guaranteed service quality within each cell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolution-Data Optimized</span> Telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals

Evolution-Data Optimized is a telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals, typically for broadband Internet access. EV-DO is an evolution of the CDMA2000 (IS-2000) standard which supports high data rates and can be deployed alongside a wireless carrier's voice services. It uses advanced multiplexing techniques including code-division multiple access (CDMA) as well as time-division multiplexing (TDM) to maximize throughput. It is a part of the CDMA2000 family of standards and has been adopted by many mobile phone service providers around the world particularly those previously employing CDMA networks. It is also used on the Globalstar satellite phone network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of mobile phones</span> Mobile communication devices

The history of mobile phones covers mobile communication devices that connect wirelessly to the public switched telephone network.

Wireless wide area network (WWAN), is a form of wireless network. The larger size of a wide area network compared to a local area network requires differences in technology. Wireless networks of different sizes deliver data in the form of telephone calls, web pages, and video streaming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telcel</span> Mexican wireless telecommunications company

Radio Móvil Dipsa S.A.U., doing business as Telcel, is a Mexican wireless telecommunications company, owned by América Móvil, founded in 1984 and based in Mexico City. Telcel holds concessions to operate a wireless network in all nine geographic regions in Mexico using both the 850 megahertz and 1900 megahertz radio spectrum.

A wide variety of different wireless data technologies exist, some in direct competition with one another, others designed for specific applications. Wireless technologies can be evaluated by a variety of different metrics of which some are described in this entry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile broadband</span> Marketing term

Mobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet access via mobile networks. Access to the network can be made through a portable modem, wireless modem, or a tablet/smartphone or other mobile device. The first wireless Internet access became available in 1991 as part of the second generation (2G) of mobile phone technology. Higher speeds became available in 2001 and 2006 as part of the third (3G) and fourth (4G) generations. In 2011, 90% of the world's population lived in areas with 2G coverage, while 45% lived in areas with 2G and 3G coverage. Mobile broadband uses the spectrum of 225 MHz to 3700 MHz.

In telecommunications, long-term evolution (LTE) is a standard for wireless broadband communication for mobile devices and data terminals, based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA standards. It improves on those standards' capacity and speed by using a different radio interface and core network improvements. LTE is the upgrade path for carriers with both GSM/UMTS networks and CDMA2000 networks. Because LTE frequencies and bands differ from country to country, only multi-band phones can use LTE in all countries where it is supported.

International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced are the requirements issued by the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2008 for what is marketed as 4G mobile phone and Internet access service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MagtiCom</span> Georgian telecommunications company

MagtiCom, Ltd. is a Georgian telecoms company founded on February 12, 1996 by Dr. George (Gia) Jokhtaberidze. On September 22, 1997, the Company made the first commercial call from its mobile network. The services offered by MagtiCom involve as follows: mobile telephony; mobile internet ; Cable fixed telephony (VoIP); internet television (IPTV) and fiber-optic internet. Since 2016 MagtiCom started to provide IPTV, VoIP and fiber-optic internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile technology</span> Technology used for cellular communication

Mobile technology is the technology used for cellular communication. Mobile technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Since the start of this millennium, a standard mobile device has gone from being no more than a simple two-way pager to being a mobile phone, GPS navigation device, an embedded web browser and instant messaging client, and a handheld gaming console. Many experts believe that the future of computer technology rests in mobile computing with wireless networking. Mobile computing by way of tablet computers is becoming more popular. Tablets are available on the 3G and 4G networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile broadband modem</span> Modem providing Internet access via a wireless connection

A mobile broadband modem, also known as wireless modem or cellular modem, is a type of modem that allows a personal computer or a router to receive wireless Internet access via a mobile broadband connection instead of using telephone or cable television lines. A mobile Internet user can connect using a wireless modem to a wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP) to get Internet access.

3G mobile telephony was relatively slow to be adopted globally. In some instances, 3G networks do not use the same radio frequencies as 2G so mobile operators must build entirely new networks and license entirely new frequencies, especially so to achieve high data transmission rates. Other delays were due to the expenses of upgrading transmission hardware, especially for UMTS, whose deployment required the replacement of most broadcast towers. Due to these issues and difficulties with deployment, many carriers delayed acquisition of these updated capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airtel India</span> Indian telecommunications company

Airtel India commonly known as Airtel, is the second largest provider of mobile telephony and third largest provider of fixed telephony in India, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services. The brand is operated by several subsidiaries of Bharti Airtel, with Bharti Hexacom and Bharti Telemedia providing broadband fixed line services and Bharti Infratel providing telecom passive infrastructure service such as telecom equipment and telecom towers. Currently, Airtel provides 5G, 4G and 4G+ services all over India. Currently offered services include fixed-line broadband, and voice services depending upon the country of operation. Airtel had also rolled out its VoLTE technology across all Indian telecom circles.

References

  1. "Radiolinja's History". April 20, 2004. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  2. "The race to 5G: Inside the fight for the future of mobile as we know it". techrepublic.com. December 15, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 5, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "5G NR Only 25% to 50% Faster, Not Truly a New Generation". wirelessone.news.
  5. "5G | ShareTechnote". www.sharetechnote.com.
  6. Rappaport, Theodore S.; Xing, Yunchou; Kanhere, Ojas; Ju, Shihao; Madanayake, Arjuna; Mandal, Soumyajit; Alkhateeb, Ahmed; Trichopoulos, Georgios C. (2019). "Wireless Communications and Applications Above 100 GHz: Opportunities and Challenges for 6G and Beyond". IEEE Access. 7: 78729–78757. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2921522 . ISSN   2169-3536.
  7. "China sends 'world's first 6G' test satellite into orbit". BBC News. Retrieved May 31, 2023.