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Mobile Phone Generations Explained
This post was published 3 years 4 months 16 days ago which may make its actuality or expire date not be valid anymore. This site is not responsible for any misunderstanding.There are way too many buzzwords and acronyms floating around. To understand technology you 
have to learn another language, the language of tech. They say lawyers and doctors add 30% more words to their vocabularies in school; well I think we do that by trying to keep up with the latest buzzwords. I am getting lost in a sea of letters and numbers, and whenever I catch up, I’m already behind! I’m doing my small part to help untangle the mess. I’ve created this little guide to explain all the current cell phone standards. This should clear some things up. At least for now!
TDMA – Time Division Multiple Access is a technoloty that allows several users to share the same frequency by dividing it into different timeslots. The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using their own timeslot. This is a second generation (2G) mobile phone standard. It is being phased out in favor of the GSM standard.
– Time Division Multiple Access is a technoloty that allows several users to share the same frequency by dividing it into different timeslots. The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using their own timeslot. This is a second generation (2G) mobile phone standard. It is being phased out in favor of the GSM standard.
TDMA features:
Shares single carrier frequency with multiple users
Non-continuous transmission makes handoff simpler
slots can be assigned on demand
less stringent power control due to reduced interuser interference
frequency/slot allocation complexity
CDMA – Code Division Multiple Access is a third generation (3G) communications standard. It is a multiple access scheme to send voice and data between phones and cell sites. It differs from TDMA b/c all radios can be active all the time. Since larger numbers of phones can be served by smaller numbers of cell sites, CDMA standards have a large economic advantage over TDMA based standards. More info is here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1006050208193.
GSM – Global System for Mobile Communications is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. It makes international roaming very common between operators. GSM differs from its predecessors in that both signaling and speech channels are digital call quality, meaning it is considered a second generation (2G) phone system. The key advantage has been higher voice quality and lower cost alternatives to making calls such as text messaging. Its open standard makes it easier for network operators to deploy equipment.
– Global System for Mobile Communications is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. It makes international roaming very common between operators. GSM differs from its predecessors in that both signaling and speech channels are digital call quality, meaning it is considered a second generation (2G) phone system. The key advantage has been higher voice quality and lower cost alternatives to making calls such as text messaging. Its open standard makes it easier for network operators to deploy equipment.
GPRS – General Packet Radio Service is described as 2.5G, a technology between second and third generations of mobile telephony. GPRS is packet switched, meaning multiple users share the same channel, only transmitting when they have data to send. Web browsing, receiving emails as they arrive and instant messaging are examples of uses that require intermittent data transfers.
– General Packet Radio Service is described as 2.5G, a technology between second and third generations of mobile telephony. GPRS is packet switched, meaning multiple users share the same channel, only transmitting when they have data to send. Web browsing, receiving emails as they arrive and instant messaging are examples of uses that require intermittent data transfers.
EV-DO – Evolution-Data Optimized networks are significantly faster than GPRS and GSM. It offers fast packet establishment on both forward and reverse links along with air interface enhancemnts, that improve data rates. This is a fast standard. It provides internet speeds of 2-3 times that of dial up (about 60K – 100K). Currently, EV-DO is available on the Verizon and Sprint networks. Provides voice and data experience that’s seamless. For more info go to http://www.evdoinfo.com/EVDO/Info/What_is_EVDO_2005021237/
– Evolution-Data Optimized networks are significantly faster than GPRS and GSM. It offers fast packet establishment on both forward and reverse links along with air interface enhancemnts, that improve data rates. This is a fast standard. It provides internet speeds of 2-3 times that of dial up (about 60K – 100K). Currently, EV-DO is available on the Verizon and Sprint networks. Provides voice and data experience that’s seamless. For more info go to http://www.evdoinfo.com/EVDO/Info/What_is_EVDO_2005021237/
EDGE – Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution is a digital technology which acts as an enhancement to 2G and 2.5G GPRS networks. It can function on any GPRS network provided the carrier implements the necessary upgrades. EDGE can be used for any packet switched applications such as an internet connection. High speed data applications such as video services and other multimedia benefit from the increased data capacity. EDGE provides up to three times the data capacity of GPRS and can handle three times more subscribers. For more info see http://www.gsmworld.com/technology/edge/index.shtml.
– Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution is a digital technology which acts as an enhancement to 2G and 2.5G GPRS networks. It can function on any GPRS network provided the carrier implements the necessary upgrades. EDGE can be used for any packet switched applications such as an internet connection. High speed data applications such as video services and other multimedia benefit from the increased data capacity. EDGE provides up to three times the data capacity of GPRS and can handle three times more subscribers. For more info see http://www.gsmworld.com/technology/edge/index.shtml.
UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology. It is designed to be a global network capable of reaching the remotest parts of the world. It will support high speed data rates and multimedia. It will provide a consistent service environment even when roaming via "Virtual Home Environment" (VHE).
– Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology. It is designed to be a global network capable of reaching the remotest parts of the world. It will support high speed data rates and multimedia. It will provide a consistent service environment even when roaming via "Virtual Home Environment" (VHE). – Code Division Multiple Access is a third generation (3G) communications standard. It is a multiple access scheme to send voice and data between phones and cell sites. It differs from TDMA b/c all radios can be active all the time. Since larger numbers of phones can be served by smaller numbers of cell sites, CDMA standards have a large economic advantage over TDMA based standards. More info is here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1006050208193. – Global System for Mobile Communications is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. It makes international roaming very common between operators. GSM differs from its predecessors in that both signaling and speech channels are digital call quality, meaning it is considered a second generation (2G) phone system. The key advantage has been higher voice quality and lower cost alternatives to making calls such as text messaging. Its open standard makes it easier for network operators to deploy equipment. – General Packet Radio Service is described as 2.5G, a technology between second and third generations of mobile telephony. GPRS is packet switched, meaning multiple users share the same channel, only transmitting when they have data to send. Web browsing, receiving emails as they arrive and instant messaging are examples of uses that require intermittent data transfers. – Evolution-Data Optimized networks are significantly faster than GPRS and GSM. It offers fast packet establishment on both forward and reverse links along with air interface enhancemnts, that improve data rates. This is a fast standard. It provides internet speeds of 2-3 times that of dial up (about 60K – 100K). Currently, EV-DO is available on the Verizon and Sprint networks. Provides voice and data experience that’s seamless. For more info go to http://www.evdoinfo.com/EVDO/Info/What_is_EVDO_2005021237/ – Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution is a digital technology which acts as an enhancement to 2G and 2.5G GPRS networks. It can function on any GPRS network provided the carrier implements the necessary upgrades. EDGE can be used for any packet switched applications such as an internet connection. High speed data applications such as video services and other multimedia benefit from the increased data capacity. EDGE provides up to three times the data capacity of GPRS and can handle three times more subscribers. For more info see http://www.gsmworld.com/technology/edge/index.shtml. – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology. It is designed to be a global network capable of reaching the remotest parts of the world. It will support high speed data rates and multimedia. It will provide a consistent service environment even when roaming via "Virtual Home Environment" (VHE).
What are 1G, 2G, 2.5G, 3G and 4G?
Technically generations are defined: 1G networks (NMT, C-Nets, AMPS, TACS) are considered to be the first analog cellular systems, which started early 1980s. There were radio telephone systems even before that.
2G networks (GSM, cdmaOne, DAMPS) are the first digital cellular systems launched early 1990s.
2.5G networks (GPRS, cdma2000 1x) are the enhanced versions of 2G networks with data rates up to about 144kbit/s.
3G networks (UMTS FDD and TDD, cdma2000 1x EVDO, cdma2000 3x, TD-SCDMA, Arib WCDMA, EDGE, IMT-2000 DECT) are the latest cellular networks that have data rates 384kbit/s and more. 4G is mainly a marketing buzzword at the moment. Some basic 4G research is being done, but no frequencies have been allocated. The Forth Generation could be ready for implementation around 2012.
Technically generations are defined: 1G networks (NMT, C-Nets, AMPS, TACS) are considered to be the first analog cellular systems, which started early 1980s. There were radio telephone systems even before that.2G networks (GSM, cdmaOne, DAMPS) are the first digital cellular systems launched early 1990s.2.5G networks (GPRS, cdma2000 1x) are the enhanced versions of 2G networks with data rates up to about 144kbit/s.3G networks (UMTS FDD and TDD, cdma2000 1x EVDO, cdma2000 3x, TD-SCDMA, Arib WCDMA, EDGE, IMT-2000 DECT) are the latest cellular networks that have data rates 384kbit/s and more. 4G is mainly a marketing buzzword at the moment. Some basic 4G research is being done, but no frequencies have been allocated. The Forth Generation could be ready for implementation around 2012.
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Chris Leckness is the Owner/Administrator of Mobilitysite. He is a Microsoft MVP, Mobile Devices and a member of the exclusive focus group, Mobius. Chris runs a Mobilitysite, GotZune, and a few other smaller sites and blogs. His personal blog is chris.leckness.com.
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