The Evolution of Wireless Technology: From 1G to 5G
To say that technology has been evolving at a rapid pace it would not be wrong. The digital revolution and the birth of cloud computing, has made easy the inventions of new technologies. We have covered a long way from 1G technology so when it comes to 5G, it's only natural to wonder how we'll get there and what it will take to make it happen. As we might expect, some things are easier said than done, but by looking at our past experiences we can see the clues along the way that will help us reach 5G in due time.
The First Generation - Mobile Phones
Mobile phones, often referred to as cellular telephones or cell phones in North America, were first invented in 1947. They became mainstream during the 1980s and 90s with analog technology. Then, in 1991, digital mobile phones were created that made conversation clearer and more secure. The most recent advance has been HD voice; although it’s still not widely adopted at present. Data services also have had a steady evolution since inception.
The Second Generation - 2G
2G networks are considered a digital dialup. Speeds maxed out at 14.4 kbps and relied on analog, not digital, transmission. The original 2G was known as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and worked with analog networks that have largely been replaced by 3G technologies such as HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access). 3G technologies offer speeds of up to 384 kbps in ideal conditions, but generally max out at around 200 kbps.
Third Generation - 3G
3G allowed for faster and easier data transmission. It was also backward compatible with 2G networks, which was very useful when 3G service expanded quickly. However, there were limitations on bandwidth, and consumers weren’t able to do as much with their mobile devices as they are now with 4G LTE network technology. Bandwidth limits were 20 kbit/s on downloads and up to 56 kbit/s on uploads (roughly equivalent in power to dial-up internet). Most users still had a hard time doing much more than emailing, surfing websites and downloading ringtones and wallpapers at 3G speeds. Applications such as VoIP calling still had not been introduced yet.
Fourth Generation - 4G/LTE
One of the most common complaints about 4G is that it can be slow, but speeds are still pretty good when you look at them on a network-wide scale. LTE tops out at around 100Mbps, which is fast enough for most uses and comparable to many cable Internet providers. There's also no caps or data overages with LTE (though there will likely be in due time). T-Mobile has rolled out an advanced version of LTE called Advanced LTE, or 4G+ for short.
Fifth Generation - 5G
Fifth-generation wireless, or 5G, is a set of standards and technologies that improve upon previous generations. The standard refers to providing faster connection speeds, having lower latency (meaning faster response times), and providing more bandwidth in a single cell. In addition, users will be able to access multiple devices at once without interference from other nearby networks; these types of connections are commonly called mesh networks. Scientists are working on it and the day is no far away that we would be experiencing this fifth generation technology.
Conclusion:
We have covered a long way from analog to digital. It is easy to explain the progress instead of being done. But if we look at the past experiences and achievements, its not impossible to achieve the 5G ( ultra modern technology) soon. So we are expecting it soon to give a very different look to the world.
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