Cell Phones, The Four Generations

As we cell phone users look forward to the coming availability of 4G technology in their provider network let’s take a look back at the generations preceding it leading up to the modern cellular standards that we know of today. While the 1G was analog and didn’t even offer something that we couldn’t live without today, text messaging, today’s more advanced 3G and now 4G digital technology offers us features that years ago we wouldn’t have ever imagined.

1G Analog Cellular Networks

1G technology was introduced back in 1983 and introduced the use of many cellular sites as well as the capacity to transport calls site-to-site as the cell phone user traveled between the sites during their conversation. The towers basically hand off the call to the next tower as the person moves along.

2G Digital Networks

The 2G technology was introduced in 1991 and was different from the 1G in the use of the digital transmission rather than analog, but also through the beginning of more advanced phone to network signals. There was significant growth in cell phone use through this period and we also saw the arrival of prepaid cell phones as well.

2G was something that also encouraged a trend going away from the larger phones of the era toward the much smaller hand held devices that soon switched to the norm. This was a change that was in large part related to the higher density of cell sites which was caused by the increase in usage levels. This had decreased the demand for the high transmission powers to reach the distant towers in order to satisfy customers.

The 2G introduced a brand new variant, SMS messaging was now possible. It was initially available only on the GSM networks but eventually it spread to all of the digital networks. Paid content also became available, like the ringtone.

GSM – Global System for Mobile Communication

GSM is the most popular standard for mobile systems throughout the world. The GSM association estimates that 80% of the entire global market uses this 2G standard.

GSM is used by over 3 billion people crossing over 212 countries and territories.

3G High Speed IP Data Networks

The chief dissimilarity that distinguishes 3G technologies from the 2G predecessor is the usage of packet switching instead of the circuit switching for the data transmission. With the good quality widespread availability of 3G coverage since the mid 00’s we saw2 the mobile internet generation come forth.

4G All IP Data Networks

The biggest technical progression that separates the 4G technology from 3G is the fact that it eliminates the circuit switching and employs an all IP network. All data, including normal voice calls, are transmitted through using packet switching. This type of phone delivers or receives calls over internet, WAN, LAN networks through using voice over IP (VOIP).

4G offers a lot of amazing opportunity for cell phone users and the future cell phone capability. As time goes on and the progress we’ve made in a very short time it’s hard not to future think about what’s actually down the road.

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Tags: 3G, CDMA, GPS, GSM, Smartphones, VOIP

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 at 9:42 pm by Bryan Bradshaw and is filed under Cell Phones. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.