Analog cellular phones were the first generation while digital marked the second generation. First 1G service was based on a TDM voice infrastructure, In 2G cellphones moved from analog to digital.
3G refers to the third generation of developments in wireless technology, which enables fast data transfers. 3G main features are; high data speeds, always-on data access, and greater voice capacity. The high data speeds are possibly the most prominent feature, and certainly the most hyped. They enable such advanced features as live, streaming video. There are several different 3G technology standards. The most prevalent is UMTS, which is based on WCDMA (the terms WCDMA and UMTS are often used interchangeably).
4G systems will utilize a packet infrastructure rather than a traditional telephone architecture. The 'G' stands for 'generation'.
2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G are different generations of mobile network technology, each offering improvements in speed, latency, capacity, and overall performance.
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2G (2nd Generation):
- 2G was the first digital mobile network technology introduced in the early 1990s.
- It provided basic voice calling and text messaging (SMS) services.
- Data transmission speeds were relatively slow, typically around 9.6 Kbps.
- 2G networks primarily used technologies such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access).
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3G (3rd Generation):
- 3G networks were introduced in the early 2000s as an evolution of 2G technology.
- They offered faster data speeds and introduced support for mobile internet access, video calling, and multimedia services.
- Data transmission speeds ranged from a few hundred Kbps to several Mbps, depending on network conditions.
- Technologies such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) and CDMA2000 were commonly used for 3G networks.
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4G (4th Generation):
- 4G networks, also known as LTE (Long-Term Evolution), were introduced in the late 2000s to early 2010s.
- They provided significant improvements in data speeds, capacity, and latency compared to 3G networks.
- 4G networks enabled high-speed mobile broadband internet access, HD video streaming, online gaming, and other bandwidth-intensive applications.
- Data transmission speeds typically ranged from several Mbps to over 100 Mbps, with peak speeds reaching up to 1 Gbps in ideal conditions.
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5G (5th Generation):
- 5G is the latest generation of mobile network technology, introduced in the late 2010s and continuing to roll out globally.
- It promises even faster data speeds, lower latency, higher capacity, and more reliable connectivity compared to 4G.
- 5G networks enable ultra-fast mobile broadband, support for massive Internet of Things (IoT) deployments, and new use cases such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and autonomous vehicles.
- Data transmission speeds in 5G networks can theoretically reach up to tens of Gbps, although real-world speeds may vary depending on network conditions and deployment.