| Most of us would be familiar with the term 2G and | | | | networks. |
| 3G mobile phones and that the stands for Generation. | | | | In the 1990's 2G phone systems were introduced. |
| But, what exactly does this mean and where did all | | | | These were characterized by the use of digital circuit |
| this start? What improvement has this made to the | | | | switched transmission and thus faster phone to |
| mobile phone we use now? Let us start with where | | | | network signaling was possible. The frequencies used |
| it all started. | | | | by both 1G and 2G systems overlapped. This spelled |
| In 1910 Lars Magnus Ericsson fitted a telephone into | | | | doom for 1G systems and it was rapidly closed down. |
| his car and while he was travelling in his car, he would | | | | By this time large brick sized phones gave way to |
| stop at places where the telephone lines were | | | | small 100-200g hand-held models and this became the |
| accessible and with a pair of electric wires, he would | | | | norm till to date. This was made possible through |
| connect them to the national telephone network. | | | | advanced batteries, efficient electronics and higher |
| Maybe, this was the birth of mobile telephone, not | | | | density of cellular sites. 2G phones introduced a highly |
| exactly mobile though. A fully automatic mobile | | | | popular variant to communication, namely SMS |
| system called MTA was first developed by Ericsson | | | | texting. This became the most preferred model of |
| and was commercially released in Sweden in 1956. | | | | communication and is currently the preferred way for |
| With a weight of 40 kg, it did not gain much | | | | the youth. First downloaded media content was also |
| popularity, though it was fully automatic. The | | | | introduced in 2G phones. Ringtones were downloaded |
| upgraded version called MTB was introduced 9 years | | | | and paid for. Mobile advertising was also introduced |
| later with a weight of 9 kg. By the time it was shut | | | | when SMS was used for sending advertisements and |
| down in 1983 it had around 600 customers. | | | | short headlines of news. |
| In 1957, a soviet radio engineer called Leonid | | | | Soon projects began for the development of 3G |
| Kupriyanovich created a portable mobile phone and | | | | systems. This process did standardize on the |
| called it LK-1. This was truly mobile as it weighed only | | | | requirements (2 Mbit/s maximum data rate indoors, |
| 3kg, a great improvement from its predecessors. It | | | | 384 k/bit/s outdoors, for example), but not on the |
| had a small handset with an antenna and a rotary dial. | | | | technology. The first pre-commercial trial 3G Network |
| It could operate up to a distance of 20-30 kilometers | | | | was launched in Japan, by NTT DoCoMo, in the |
| from the base station and had a battery life of 20 | | | | Tokyo region in may 2001 and the first commercial |
| -30 hrs. Each station could serve up to 6 customers. | | | | 3G network too was launched by the same in Japan |
| The very next year he had upgraded his radio phone | | | | on October 1, 2001. By the end of 2007 |
| to weigh only 500 grams. At this time people found | | | | approximately 300 million subscribers on 3G networks |
| that the mandatory stay inside the cell area to make | | | | existed. The revenue generated by 3G network was |
| a prolonged call was very annoying. To solve this | | | | over $120 billion during 2007. The things that made |
| problem Amos E. Joel Jr., a Bell Labs engineer, in 1970, | | | | this system overwhelmingly successful is the rate of |
| invented the automatic call hand off system which | | | | file transfer and downloads from the internet is much |
| allowed the phones to move through various cell | | | | faster than the 2G systems. Internet connects twice |
| areas without the call getting disrupted or loss of | | | | as fast in 3G system. This has made possible a whole |
| conversation. The first successful public commercial | | | | new experience as photos, videos, blogs, etc. can be |
| mobile phone network was launched in 1971 in Finland. | | | | accessed and enjoyed better. Thus, making 3G |
| This is being viewed as the 0G cellular network as it | | | | systems and services a big hit among mobile phone |
| had a slightly better coverage area than previous | | | | users, than the 2G systems. |