Training on Mobile Networking Technologies

By Abir Muhtadi

Generations of Mobile Network

Early Generations (1G, 2G)

• First generation of cellular systems 1G - system of analogue mobile communications (send waves for voice, no data, no internet)

• Radio signals used by 1G networks at 14.4kbps data - analog, while 2G networks – digital

• Voice itself during a call is encoded to digital signals in 2G

• 2G networks phone conversations were digitally encrypted.

• 2G systems were significantly more efficient on the spectrum.

• 2G introduced data services, starting with SMS text messages - picture messages and MMS (multi media messages) followed by.

1G, 2G Comparisons

• 1G has none, 2G has a slow connection (comparable to dial-up)

• 2G essentially uses the following standards:

– GSM – CDMA – TDMA – GPRS (2.5G), intermediary between 2G

and 3G (up to about 144kbit/s)

Newer Generations (3G)

• 3G finds application in wireless voice telephony, mobile Internet access, fixed wireless Internet access, video calls and mobile TV.

• An information transfer rate of at least 200 kbit/s.

• 3.5G and 3.75G, also provide mobile broadband access of several Mbit/s

Generations in short

• 1G => Voice

• 2G => Voice + Data (mobile, starting with SMS text messages)

• 3G => Voice + Data + Video (Broadband)

• 4G => Long Term Evolution aka LTE (Ultra-Broadband). Faster than 3G.

WCDMA, UMTS, LTE

• Wideband CDMA - a third-generation (3G) wireless standard.

• Allows use of both voice and data and offers data speeds of up to 384 Kbps.

• Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - third generation wireless network technology which allows speed of up to 2Mbps.

• UMTS - based on the WCDMA technology

• LTE (Long term evolution) - next-step evolution of UMTS and HSDPA.

• Only network technology to be actual 4G.• High-speed HSDPA+ networks as 4G, but

that's not technically correct.• LTE networks - available in the USA by

carriers such as AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.• Data downlink speeds of up to 300Mbps

and uplink speeds of up to 75Mbps.

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service )

• Packet-switching technology that enables data transfers through cellular networks.

• Used for mobile internet, MMS and other data communications

• Rated speed limit of GPRS is 115 kbps, but in most networks it is around 35 kbps.

• GPRS is also called 2.5G

EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution)

• Data system used on top of GSM networks

• Provides nearly three times faster speeds than the outdated GPRS system

• Rated Maximum Speed is 473 kbps but it is typically limited to 135 kbps

• Phone and network must support EDGE otherwise the phone will revert to GPRS

HSPA (High Speed Packet Access)

• Fastest 3G protocol 3G cellular network protocols.

• Utilizes the HSDPA protocol - supports Rated Maximum Data rates between 1.8 Mbps and 14.4 Mbps.

• HSPA+ is enhanced version of HSPA.

HSPA, HSPA+ (Cont.)

• HSPA+ supports rated Data Rates up to 84 Mbps for downloads and 22 Mbps for uploads.

• Actual data rates a person can achieve on their phone with either HSPA or HSPA+ is much lower than the rated maximum.

• Typical HSPA speeds are 1 Mbps or lower and 5 Mbps or lower with HSPA+