The first generation of wireless telecommunication was an analog type of technology. This technology is one where the signals can be modulated to a higher frequency for the transmission of the signal from one mobile device to another through a base station. There are different types of standards that were built for the various regions. Some of them are Total Access Communication System (TACS) for the United Kingdom, Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) for the Eastern Europe and Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) for the United States of America.
In the 19890’s, the General System of Mobile Communication (GSM) technology was established. This was the second generation (2G) of digital communication system and it was and is a milestone in this advanced technology. This 2G digital communication system not only made communication over longer distances possible but also made it easier to use. This brought about an increase in the number of mobile phone users.
GSM technology allowed people to exchange voice calls and SMS’s, Short Messaging System, merely through a mobile device. The usage of this system became popular internationally mainly because of the real-time transfer of information and the reliability of the network. That, coupled with the cost of the services, was something almost anybody could afford. With the development of technology, the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) was introduced in the 1990’s. This was the beginning of internet connectivity through wireless telecommunication communication. This brought about the trend of checking and sending emails through cell phones. This was now a new challenge for mobile service providers. People demanded better bit rates for faster transfer of information. Thus EDGE was introduced. EDGE stands for Enhanced Date Rate for Global Evolution. Now mobile phone companies had a challenge of keeping up with the fast developing technology and creating mobile devices that could support these new features and technologies.
In the summer of 2000, 3GPP (3G Partnership Program) was given the charge of the research and development of the third generation (3G) wireless telecommunication technology, that is the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS). This system allows video calling at an improved rate of up to 384kbps. There was also the development of HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access) which offered internet speed of 14.4Mbps on a mobile phone.
In the last two decades, there has been a lot development in mobile technologies and its usage. The usages of these services have entered the lives of so many people that it has now become a lifestyle.
wireless telecommunication
