The Evolution of Mobile Network Architecture (1G-5G)

The first country to offer 5G (the fifth generation of mobile network) service was South Korea on December 1, 2018.

It’s safe to say that the mobile sector has come a long way since the first mobile call was placed in 1973.

Our world has changed in unexpected ways as a result of mobile technology.

Since 2018, 5G has been embraced by numerous nations.

Even MTN has launched its 5G offerings in Nigeria.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and big data are expected to grow due to the widespread implementation of 5G.

There have been astounding improvements in data-carrying capacity and latency with each new generation of wireless protocols, denoted by the letter “G,” and 5G is no different.

To understand how we got here, we must map the expansion of wireless network architectures from the first generation (1G) to 5G.

1G – First Generation

This was the initial iteration of mobile phone technology.

The first generation of commercial cellular networks was launched in the late 1970s, and the 1980s largely defined standards.

Australia received its first cellular mobile phone network using a 1G analogue system in 1987, thanks to Telecom (now Telstra).

The radio signals used by 1G are analogue, which means that rather than being encoded to digital data, the voice of a call is modulated to a higher frequency.

Analogue signals deteriorate over time and place, which causes voice data to be of poor quality during calls frequently and occasionally results in dropped calls.

In contrast, because digital is a representation of analogue stored as signals, more data may be transported more successfully.

The top 1G speed is 2.4 Kbps.

These are the analogue communications standards that were established in the 1980s and used until 2G digital communications took their place.

Read: Edge Computing and 5G: How It’s Enhancing Mobile Network Performance

2G – Second Generation

In Finland in 1991, the second generation of mobile networks, or 2G, was introduced using the GSM protocol.

Communications could now be encrypted for the first time, and digital voice calls were much crisper with less static and background crackling.

However, 2G was about much more than just communications; it contributed to nothing less than a cultural revolution.

People may now send text messages (SMS), image messages (MMS), and multimedia messages (MMS) on their phones for the first time.

The digital future that 2G offered replaced the analogue past of 1G.

This resulted in unprecedented levels of widespread acceptance among both consumers and corporations.

Even though 2G’s first data transfer rates were only about 9.6 kbit/s, operators hurried to invest in new infrastructure such as mobile cell towers.

By the end of the era, EDGE connections could deliver up to 500 kbit/s of speed, and speeds of 40 kbit/s were also feasible.

Despite its slow speeds, 2G transformed business and altered the course of history.

Read: Pros and Cons of 5G Network

3G – Third Generation

NTT DoCoMo introduced 3G in Japan in 2001, focusing on standardising vendor network protocols.

Users’ ability to access data from any location allowed for the start of international roaming services.

Compared to 2G, 3G had four times the capacity for data transfer, with typical speeds of up to 2 Mbps.

This growth made live video chat (like Skype) and video streaming as well as video conferencing a reality.

Another common method of communication on mobile devices is email.

However, the mobile internet and music streaming capabilities of 3G—which at the time only supported basic HTML pages—were truly revolutionary.

Even though 2G offered the same functionality, its download speeds lagged behind those of 3G.

As the 3G era went on, network upgrades raised speeds and support.

Smartphones were new, even if candy-bar and flip phones were common alternatives in the 3G era.

With the help of this new technology, consumers could use their mobile devices to browse the internet, make calls, send texts, and listen to music.

The first iPhone didn’t launch until 2007, yet it quickly became the industry standard for smartphones and cell phones.

As smartphones became popular, the demand for faster data and increased network capabilities was only a few years away.

Read: Future of Digital Education: Impact of 5G Technology

4G – Fourth Generation

The fourth generation is an entirely IP-based network system introduced in 2010.

The IEEE developed 4G technologies, which offer a greater data rate and can handle more sophisticated multimedia services.

With the LTE system, voice and data may be transmitted simultaneously, greatly enhancing the data rate.

Transmission over IP packets is possible for all services, including phone services.

Uplink and downlink capacity are multiplied via carrier aggregation and complicated modulation methods.

It has more to do with the standards established by the International Telecommunication Union’s Radio Communication Sector(ITU-R) than the technology it employs.

International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced(IMT-Advanced) is the name of these norms.

The lengthy number of standards has prevented the 4G spectrum from being adopted quickly because of its complexity.

A short while later, 4G LTE was unveiled.

LTE, which stands for Long Term Evolution, is more of a method for achieving 4G speeds than a technology.

The 3G network architecture was completely redesigned and simplified.

This led to a considerable decrease in transfer latency and increased network efficiency and speed.

Read: The Impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) on Our Lives and Work

5G – Fifth Generation

To provide users with extremely fast internet and multimedia experiences, the 5G network uses cutting-edge technologies.

Future 5G networks will be enhanced versions of the current LTE Advanced networks.

In earlier deployments, the 5G network will operate in standalone and non-standalone modes.

Both the 5G-NR and LTE spectrums will be utilised in non-standalone mode.

Control signalling will operate non-standalone while linked to the LTE core network.

A dedicated 5G core network with a higher capacity 5G NR spectrum will be available for standalone mode.

FR1 sub-6-GHz spectrum is utilised in the first 5G network deployments.

5G technology will transmit data using unlicensed airwaves and millimetre waves to obtain a greater data rate.

A complex modulation mechanism has been devised to support the huge data rate involved in the Internet of Things, the Metaverse and Web 3.0.

Cloud-based network architecture will expand the functionality and analytical capabilities for business, autonomous vehicles, healthcare, and security applications.

Conclusion

The evolution from 1G to 5G marks a significant leap in mobile network architecture.

It has transformed how we communicate and interact with the world.

Each generation brought faster speeds, improved reliability, and new possibilities, from basic voice calls to advanced multimedia and IoT applications.

As 5G continues to roll out globally, it’s set to unlock even greater potential, driving innovations in areas like autonomous vehicles and healthcare.

Understanding this progression helps us appreciate the technological advancements that have shaped our digital landscape and prepare us for the future innovations that 5G will enable.

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