The Evolution of 5G

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The Evolution of 5G



1G: Where it all began
The first generation of mobile networks – or 1G as they were retroactively dubbed when the next generation was introduced – was launched by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) in Tokyo in 1979. By 1984, NTT had rolled out 1G to cover the whole of Japan.
In 1983, the US approved the first 1G operations and the Motorola’s DynaTAC became one of the first ‘mobile’ phones to see widespread use stateside. Other countries such as Canada and the UK rolled out their own 1G networks a few years later.
However, 1G technology suffered from a number of drawbacks. Coverage was poor and sound quality was low. There was no roaming support between various operators and, as different systems operated on different frequency ranges, there was no compatibility between systems. Worse of all, calls weren’t encrypted, so anyone with a radio scanner could drop in on a call.
Despite these shortcomings and a hefty $3,995 price tag ($9,660 in today’s money), the DynaTAC still managed to rack up an astonishing 20 million global subscribers by 1990. There was no turning back; the success of 1G paved the way for the second generation, appropriately called 2G.
2G: The Cultural Revolution
The second generation of mobile networks, or 2G, was launched under the GSM standard in Finland in 1991. For the first time, calls could be encrypted and digital voice calls were significantly clearer with less static and background crackling.
But 2G was about much more than telecommunications; it helped lay the groundwork for nothing short of a cultural revolution. For the first time, people could send text messages (SMS), picture messages, and multimedia messages (MMS) on their phones. The analog past of 1G gave way to the digital future presented by 2G. This led to mass-adoption by consumers and businesses alike on a scale never before seen.
Although 2G’s transfer speeds were initially only around 9.6 kbit/s, operators rushed to invest in new infrastructure such as mobile cell towers. By the end of the era, speeds of 40 kbit/s were achievable and EDGE connections offered speeds of up to 500 kbit/s. Despite relatively sluggish speeds, 2G revolutionized the business landscape and changed the world forever.
3G: The ‘Packet-Switching’ Revolution
3G was launched by NTT DoCoMo in 2001 and aimed to standardize the network protocol used by vendors. This meant that users could access data from any location in the world as the ‘data packets’ that drive web connectivity were standardized. This made international roaming services a real possibility for the first time.
3G’s increased data transfer capabilities (4 times faster than 2G) also led to the rise of new services such as video conferencing, video streaming and voice over IP (such as Skype). In 2002, the Blackberry was launched, and many of its powerful features were made possible by 3G connectivity.
The twilight era of 3G saw the launch of the iPhone in 2007, meaning that its network capability was about to be stretched like never before.
4G: The Streaming Era
4G was first deployed in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway in 2009 as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) 4G standard. It was subsequently introduced throughout the world and made high-quality video streaming a reality for millions of consumers. 4G offers fast mobile web access (up to 1 gigabit per second for stationary users) which facilitates gaming services, HD videos and HQ video conferencing.
The catch was that while transitioning from 2G to 3G was as simple as switching SIM cards, mobile devices needed to be specifically designed to support 4G. This helped device manufacturers scale their profits dramatically by introducing new 4G-ready handsets and was one factor behind Apple’s rise to become the world’s first trillion dollar company.
While 4G is the current standard around the globe, some regions are plagued by network patchiness and have low 4G LTE penetration. According to Ogury, a mobile data platform, UK residents can only access 4G networks 53 percent of the time, for example.
5G: The Internet of Things Era
With 4G coverage so low in some areas, why has the focus shifted to 5G already?
5G has actually been years in the making.
During an interview with Tech Republic, Kevin Ashton described how he coined the term "the Internet of Things" – or IoT for short – during a PowerPoint presentation he gave in the 1990s to convince Procter & Gamble to start using RFID tag technology.
The phrase caught on and IoT was soon touted as the next big digital revolution that would see billions of connected devices seamlessly share data across the globe. According to Ashton, a mobile phone isn’t a phone, it’s the IoT in your pocket; a number of network-connected sensors that help you accomplish everything from navigation to photography to communication and more. The IoT will see data move out of server centers and into what are known as ‘edge devices’ such as Wi-Fi-enabled appliances like fridges, washing machines, and cars.
By the early 2000s, developers knew that 3G and even 4G networks wouldn’t be able to support such a network. As 4G’s latency of between 40ms and 60ms is too slow for real-time responses, a number of researchers started developing the next generation of mobile networks.
In 2008, NASA helped launch the Machine-to-Machine Intelligence (M2Mi) Corp to develop IoT and M2M technology, as well as the 5G technology needed to support it. In the same year, South Korea developed a 5G R&D program, while New York University founded the 5G-focused NYU WIRELESS in 2012.
The superior connectivity offered by 5G promised to transform everything from banking to healthcare. 5G offers the possibility of innovations such as remote surgeries, telemedicine and even remote vital sign monitoring that could save lives.
Three South Korean carriers – KT, LG Uplus and SK Telecom – rolled out live commercial 5G services last December and promise a simultaneous March 2019 launch of 5G across the country.