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In short, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G are abbreviations that stand for different mobile radio standards.
The letter G stands for generation, that is, “generation”, and therefore denotes the second, third, fourth and fifth generations of radio communications.
The difference between 2G, 3G and 4G mainly lies in the data transfer speed. This characteristic is important for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets in order to “travel” the Internet as quickly as possible.
Currently, there are 2G, 3G and 4G standards in the world, but not all three types are present in all regions. The smartphone always chooses the best network, but not every smartphone supports all types of communication. Additionally, many mobile service providers currently only offer 4G connections on certain contracts.
The 5G standard will be launched at the very beginning of 2020. While 4G continues to be optimized for private use, 5G is designed for completely different purposes. In particular, industrial organizations are interested in even higher communication speeds. If we talk about the use of 5G in the private sector, for example, driving using a navigator requires high bandwidth and a stable connection to evaluate data in real time, while a high-performance computer in every car is not a prerequisite.
Definitions: 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G
2G: This mobile radio standard was created in 1992, but came to Russia in the early 2000s and is still primarily used for telephony. Mobile data is transmitted via GPRS at a maximum data rate of 53.6 kbps or via Edge (E) at up to 220 kbps. This is very slow by today's standards, but is fast enough for apps like WhatsApp. This standard will no longer handle a “heavy” web page or video download.
3G: in 2000, the next mobile radio standard (3G) called UMTS was developed. This allowed the data transfer rate to reach 384 kbit/s. In 2006, HSDPA followed, and later HSDPA +. These standards are also part of the 3.5G generation and even reach speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and 42 Mbps, respectively.
4G:4G- current communication standard for mobile phones. Download speeds of 1000 Mbps are theoretically possible. Thus, even very large data can be downloaded in seconds. In practice, however, you'll be lucky to get a connection of around 100Mbps, with carrier advertised speeds of around 150Mbps, but the numbers increase year on year. LTE continues to expand.
5G: While 4G is still optimized for home users and may be considered sufficient, the Internet of Things, for example, should benefit greatly from the arrival of 5G, with developers promising 10 Gbps, which is 10 times faster than 4G.
Today, 5G is more of a concept, as a single standard does not yet exist. For 5G to reach people, a lot needs to be done: for example, switch to new equipment, develop technical requirements and allocate frequencies.
If you switch any phone to GSM mode (the default is usually auto-select GSM/WCDMA), it will run longer on battery power, emit less radiation in standby mode, and connect to the Internet faster when a network appears (for example, in the subway).
My Galaxy S II lasts for almost three days in GSM mode.
In a note about the mysterious UMTS-900 (), I provided a frequency distribution map and said that each of the mobile operators has several completely different networks, which are perceived by most users as a single whole.
2G (GSM, GPRS, EDGE) and 3G (WCDMA, UMTS, HSPDA) are two completely different networks operating on different frequencies. All modern phones try to connect to a 3G network by default, and if that doesn't work, they switch to 2G. Due to the fact that our 3G networks do not work very well, the phone is constantly “jumping” from one network to another. This is easy to see using any base station monitoring program. My phone, just lying on the table, with an excellent signal level, jumped from 3G to 2G and back twenty times in 10 minutes.
Of course, this increases battery consumption. And the phone constantly emits radio waves, informing the base station that it has reconnected, which is not very healthy, especially if it is lying somewhere near you while you sleep.
In combined mode, the phone takes much longer to establish a connection to the Internet when a network appears. For example, in the subway, when the train enters the station (and my MTS does not have a network in the tunnels), the phone first tries to find a 3G network, does not find it, starts looking for 2G and connecting to it. As a result, the Internet appears only when the train is already starting to leave the station; as a result, the Internet in the metro almost does not work.
If you force the phone to switch to 2G (GSM) mode, the operating time increases significantly, the radiation in standby mode decreases (the phone will not constantly reconnect to different networks and report this to the base station), the speed of connection establishment when a network appears (mainly in the subway) it will become faster.
Voice communications (at least with MTS) in 2G and 3G are no different in quality. The only thing you need 3G for is fast Internet. I installed the "2G-3G OnOff" widget button, which gives quick access to the network mode selection page in the settings menu and turns on 3G only when I need mobile Internet in large volumes(2G is quite enough for Twitter and checking mail).
Unfortunately, I did not find a widget that would switch 2G/3G with one click.
For my "Samsung Galaxy SII" the network selection mode is in the menu "Settings-Network-Advanced-Mobile networks-Network mode". There we select "GSM only".
Lenochkin's "Sony Ericsson Live With Walkman" menu is "Settings-Wireless networks-Mobile network-Network mode".
It doesn't matter whether you use an Android, iOS or Windows Phone, when you activate the mobile Internet, you will see the same thing in the upper right corner - several bars indicating the signal strength of your mobile network, as well as a mystical letter. Sometimes it's E, sometimes 3G, and sometimes H or H+.
However, this is not just alphabet soup. Each term indicates what type of network protocol you are connected to, and different protocols provide different Internet connection speeds.
In this short article, we'll share everything we know about each network: what they're called, how fast they are, and what you can do with them. So, let's begin!
LTE – Long Term Evolution (4G)
IN this moment LTE provides the fastest Internet speed, in theory - up to 100 Mb/s. LTE is faster than most home networks, allowing users to download even large files almost instantly, watch HD videos and listen to music online, and load websites on the fly.
LTE is quite often associated with the term 4G. However, in reality, the 4G standard is still unattainable, because its speed is 1 Gb/s, which is ten times faster than modern LTE networks. Unfortunately, this term has gained some currency, but while real 4G networks have not yet appeared, you can use these two terms as synonyms.
In San Francisco, LTE appeared in early 2012. Advertising 4G LTE mobile operator AT&T on a cable tram. Photo:
H+ (HSDPA Plus)
HSDPA Plus is the fastest network available currently is supported in Ukraine and theoretically gives a speed of about 21-42 Mb/s. In most versions of Android smartphones, you may notice the letter “H+”, but on Android 4.4 it just shows “H”.
H+ makes it easy to watch videos on the Internet in HD quality and is comparable to the speed of home broadband networks.
The letter “H+” when connecting to the Kyivstar Smartphone Plus tariff. Photo:
H (HSDPA – High Speed Downlink Packet Access)
HSDPA is a protocol that is based on UMTS (3G). But this is a slower version of HSDPA Plus, giving speeds of about 7.2 Mbps. This is somewhere around the minimum required speed for comfortable viewing of video content in HD quality; it is also possible to comfortably surf the Internet and listen to music online.
3G (3rd Generation or UMTS)
3G digital networks initially supported video calls with download speeds of about 2 Mbps (at the very beginning, speeds of about 384 Kbps were supported). This was the stage of a pretty decent Internet, when most users had smartphones with advanced capabilities that required a good connection ( Email, Skype, etc.).
E – EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution)
EDGE is sometimes known as 2.75G and provides speeds of about 384 Kbps. EDGE was developed as a low-cost way for mobile operators to upgrade their 2G networks to 3G without having to invest in new infrastructure. Long time mobile operators in Ukraine used exactly this technology.
G – GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
GPRS, or “butt cutter” as it was called in the early 2000s, is a slightly faster version of the early GSM data transfer standard. In this sense, it is sometimes called 2.5G - an improved version of 2G. The speed is about 115Kb/s, which was enough to load a simple web page or some basic text information, for example, exchange rates.
GPRS was the first service that provided a constant mobile Internet connection and the ability to quickly receive information from the network.
Ukraine
Until the spring of 2015, in Ukraine, the UMTS service was exclusively provided by one operator that owned the necessary frequencies - a subsidiary of Ukrtelecom - Trimob (formerly Utel). All other mobile operators and their users were content with EDGE.
In the spring of 2015, a tender was held for the sale of licenses for UMTS / HSDPA and the commission sold three frequencies to Astelit (Life), MTS-Ukraine and Kyivstar. Moreover, Astelit (Life), which was recently sold to the Turkish operator Turkcell, bought the most interesting frequencies. The second lot was taken by MTS-Ukraine, and Kyivstar received what was left at the starting price.
Wireless idea mobile communications originated in the minds of scientists at the beginning of the 20th century. Work on creating a radiotelephone communication system was actively carried out both in Western countries and in the Soviet Union, but the first working model of a cell phone appeared only in 1973, when the American company Motorola introduced the world DynaTac - the first prototype of a portable cell phone.
Today, it is almost impossible to imagine human life without mobile devices using wireless communication technologies. Over the past 35 years, 4 generations of cellular communications have changed, and the fourth is being replaced by the fifth generation, the introduction of which is expected by 2020. The history of the development of cellular communications, generations and technologies used will be discussed in this article.
First generation - 1G
All first-generation standards were analog, as a result of which they had a lot of shortcomings. There were problems with both signal quality and technology compatibility.
Among the first generation mobile communication standards, the most widespread are the following:
AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service). Used in USA, Canada, Australia and countries South America;
TACS (Total Access Communications System) Used in European countries, such as England, Italy, Spain, Austria and a number of other countries;
NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone - Nordic mobile phone). Used in Scandinavian countries.
TZ-801 (TZ-802,TZ-803), developed in Japan.
Despite existing problems with quality and compatibility of standards, analogue mobile communication networks have still found commercial application. The Japanese were the first to do this in 1979, then in 1981 the analogue network was launched in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and in 1983 in the USA.
Second generation - 2G
In 1982, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Authorities formed a working group called GSM (French Groupe Spécial Mobile - special group for mobile communications). The purpose of the group, as the name suggests, is to study and develop a pan-European terrestrial mobile communications system for general use.
In 1989, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute continued the study and development of the second generation of mobile communications. The abbreviation GSM then acquired a different meaning - Global System for Mobile Communications (global system for mobile communications).
In 1991, the first commercial second generation mobile networks appeared. The main difference between second-generation networks and the first is the digital method of data transmission. Digital data transmission technologies made it possible to introduce a text messaging service (SMS), and later, using the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) protocol, access to the Internet from mobile devices became possible. The data transfer speed in second generation networks was no more than 19.5 kbit/s.
Further growth in user demand for mobile internet served as an impetus for the development of next-generation networks. The intermediate stages between 2G and 3G networks were generations conventionally called 2.5G And 2.7G.
generation 2.5G designated GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) technology, which made it possible to increase the data transfer rate to 172 kbit/s in theory, and up to 80 kbit/s in reality.
generation 2.7G called the technology EDGE (EGPRS) (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution), which functions as an add-on over 2G and 2.5G. The data transfer speed in such networks can theoretically reach 474 kbit/s, but in practice it rarely reaches 150 kbit/s.
Third generation - 3G
Work on creating third-generation technologies began in the 1990s, and implementation took place only in the early 2000s (in 2002 in Russia). The standards developed by that time were based on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology.
The third generation of mobile communications includes 5 standards: UMTS/WCDMA, CDMA2000/IMT-MC, TD-CDMA/TD-SCDMA, DECT and UWC-136. The most common of them are the UMTS/WCDMA and CDMA2000/IMT-MC standards. In Russia, the UMTS/WCDMA standard has gained popularity. Next, we propose to dwell on the main 3G technologies:
UMTS
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) is a cellular communication technology developed for the introduction of 3G in Europe. The frequency range used is 2110-2200 MHz. (often the channel width is 5 MHz). The data transfer speed in UMTS mode is no more than 2 Mbit/s (for a stationary subscriber), and when the subscriber moves, depending on the speed of movement, it can drop to 144 Kbit/s.
HSDPA
HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access - high-speed packet data transfer from the base station to mobile phone) is the first of the HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) family of cellular communication protocols, based on UMTS technology. This protocol and its subsequent versions have made it possible to significantly increase data transfer speeds in 3G networks. In its first implementation, the HSDPA protocol had a maximum data transfer rate of 1.2 Mbit/s. The data transfer rate in the next implementation of the HSDPA protocol was already 3.6 Mbit/s. At this point, 3G modems became very popular and most users had modems that supported this particular standard, the most popular models being Huawei E1550 and ZTE mf180. It must be said that similar specimens can still be found in use. As a result further development HSDPA protocol managed to increase the speed first to 7.2 Mbit/s (the most popular modems Huawei E173, ZTE MF112), and then to 14.4 Mbit/s. (Huawei E1820, ZTE MF658) The pinnacle of HSDPA technology was DC-HSDPA technology, the speed of which could reach 28.8 Mbit/s. DC-HSDPA is essentially a two-channel version of HSDPA.
HSPA+
HSPA+ is a technology based on HSDPA, which implements more complex methods signal modulation (16QAM, 64QAM) and MIMO technology (Multiple Input Multiple Output). The maximum 3G speed can reach 21 Mbps. This technology is already referred to as 3.5G.
DC-HSPA+
DC-HSPA+ technology with the fastest 3G Internet 42.2 Mbit/s. This is essentially two-channel HSPA+ with a channel width of 10 MHz. This technology is often called 3.75G.
All devices that support third generation networks also support the standards of previous generations. For example, the now outdated Huawei E173 USB modem for 2G/3G networks supports GSM, GPRS, EDGE (up to 236.8 Kbps), UMTS (up to 384 Kbps), HSDPA (up to 7.2 Mbit/s), i.e. network standards of both second and third generations. The maximum speed with which this device can operate is 7.2 Mbit/s. The more “advanced” model Huawei E3131 for 2G/3G networks supports a set of standards, including, in addition to the above, HSPA+. The maximum achievable download speed on this device is much higher and is 21 Mbit/s. But it should be taken into account that the maximum theoretical and real speeds differ quite greatly, for example on modems Huawei E1550, zte mf180, where maximum speed 3.6 Mbit/s, in practice you can achieve a speed of 1-2 Mbit/s, on modems Huawei E173, ZTE MF112 (maximum speed 7.2 Mbit/s) in practice 2-3.5 Mbit/s, this is subject to a good level signal and low load on the mobile operator tower. One of the factors for increasing 3G Internet speed is to use a modem that supports maximum 3G speed. For example, we recommend a modem, it not only supports the maximum speed of 3G Internet (up to 42.2 Mbit/s), but also 4G (up to 150 Mbit/s), someone may object and say that there will be no 4G in his “hole” never, but don’t forget that a few years ago you didn’t even dream about 3G. Technologies do not stand still and over time they conquer even remote villages and towns.
Fourth generation - 4G
3G, which has not yet exhausted its capabilities, is being replaced by new technologies, fourth generation technologies (4G), which better meet the needs of the times. Technologies of the 4G generation have identified completely new requirements for the quality of the communication signal and its stability.
The brainchild of joint research between Hewlett-Packard and NTT DoCoMo in the development of data transmission technologies wireless networks The fourth generation became the LTE and WiMax standards.
The WiMAX standard was developed in 2001 by the WiMAX Forum, which includes manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei Technologies, Intel and other well-known companies. Conceptually, WiMAX is a continuation of the Wi-Fi wireless standard. Versions of the WiMAX standard are divided into fixed, intended for stationary subscribers, and mobile, for moving subscribers at a speed not exceeding 115 km/h. The first commercial WiMAX network was launched in Canada in 2005.
The LTE standard (Long-Term Evolution) is essentially a continuation of the development of the GSM/UMTS standards and did not initially belong to the fourth generation of mobile communications. Today, LTE is the main standard for fourth generation networks (4G). First introduced by the aforementioned NTT DoCoMo, the world's largest Japanese cellular operator, LTE standard, in its tenth release LTE Advanced, was elected International Union telecommunications as a standard to meet the requirements of fourth generation wireless communications. The first commercial implementation of an LTE network was carried out in 2009 in Sweden and Norway.
The maximum theoretical data transfer speed in LTE networks is 326.4 Mbit/s. In practice, the data transfer rate significantly depends on the frequency band used by the operator. The cellular operator Megafon currently has the largest frequency range (40 MHz), which is a serious advantage over other domestic cellular operators that use a bandwidth of 10 MHz. The maximum data transfer rate in an LTE network with a 10 MHz band width is 75 Mbit/s. Well, the maximum data transfer speed when using a 40 MHz band width can reach 300 Mbit/s.
Fifth generation - 5G
Currently, work on developing standards for wireless data networks is still underway, and mainly with the sponsorship of one of the largest manufacturers of network equipment, the Chinese company Huawei. The widespread introduction of fifth-generation technologies is predicted in 2020. There is no clear information regarding the maximum data transfer speeds in 5G networks yet, but it is known that in experimental tests of 5G networks it was possible to achieve a speed of 25 Gbit/s, which is tens of times higher maximum values data transfer speeds in fourth generation networks.