Over the past ten years, our country has stepped forward in mobile technologies. Everyone has a mobile phone today. Almost half have a smartphone. And where there is a smartphone, there is mobile Internet. There are not so many people left in Russia who have never heard of 4G. But somewhere to hear and know are two different things. Not all mobile users have reliable information about a 4G connection. This article is devoted to new mobile data networks and their prospects. The high-speed Internet industry is one of the fastest growing areas. And at the same time, it is very clearly differentiated into stages. If we take the same smartphones or laptops, then we will not see such a bright division of generations there. The main criterion for identifying the Internet by generation is, as you might guess, speed. To date, the hierarchy of the mobile Internet looks like this:
- 1G (first generation), it is understood as analog communication, which is provided by NMT technology;
- 2G - the second generation of mobile Internet was digital circuit-switched, it is represented by the GSM and CDMA standards, which are still in use today;
- 3G - along with switching, it also produces packet data transmission, it was the 3G generation of communication that provided the necessary Internet speeds for listening to online music and high-quality Internet surfing;
- 4G is the latest mobile communication format, which in Russia means LTE and WiMax. The emergence of LTE networks has led to a multiple increase in traffic speed and data transfer volumes.
Each generation was developed for about 10 years before being introduced in large quantities. For work on analog networks of the first generation, experts sat down in the 1970s. Having passed all the necessary tests, 1G were introduced in 1984. Seven years after the debut, 2G appeared. A third standard characterizing code division of channels began to be developed in the early 1990s. In Russia, after the necessary tests, it was introduced in 2002. And at that time, work had been going on for the fourth generation for two years, which was released in 2010.
4G or not 4G?
Some confusion has arisen with the very concept of 4G, as a result of which 2 camps have formed: those who call LTE and WiMax technologies fourth-generation networks, and those who refuse to recognize them as such. The fact is that in 2008, the International Telecommunication Union established “IMT-Advanced” for standardization purposes - the requirements that a 4G connection must meet:
- support of the speed level of 100 Mbps for highly mobile subscribers (located in a moving car or train);
- speed up to 1Gbps for static receivers (pedestrians).
The fact is that these results are a kind of laboratory tests. The real speed in Russia is much less. It is no secret that it is less than the 100 Mbps declared by the operators (in some regions this threshold is already artificially limited by the operator itself). The quality of an LTE signal is affected by many factors:
- fast receiver movement;
- complex terrain:
- radio signal interference;
- user congestion channels.
As a rule, already at the stage of testing 4G in the stone jungle (user load is excluded here), the new generation of communication produces 60-80 Mbps. Does this mean that with the growth of the subscriber base, the real speed will only decrease?
Judging by the tests, the speed of the same "MegaFon" in the center of the capital is quite capable of reaching 30-50 Mbps. Tests in more remote areas will show 10-15 Mbps.
However, it is not at all necessary that over time the quality of MegaFon's 4G will only deteriorate. A qualitative increase in 4G is achieved by increasing the frequency of base stations. MegaFon practices such intensive improvements along with extensive ones (increasing the coverage area). That is, to date, WiMax and LTE technologies do not comply with the established IMT-Advanced standards, although they are usually called 4G by mobile operators and ordinary users. The International Telecommunication Union itself in 2010 allowed the term 4G to be applied to modern Internet technologies. Although there is still no unambiguous definition of the term.
New prospects for the mobile market
The emergence and development of domestic 4G was due to ever-growing demand. In 2012 alone, the number of mobile Internet users in the world was more than one billion people. During the year, traffic consumption indicators more than doubled. According to the most preliminary forecasts, by 2017 this figure will increase by another 10 times. The availability of smartphones and the relatively low prices for mobile Internet have significantly increased the volume of data transfer and the load on mobile networks. 4G is designed to solve this problem in Russia: it will take users with maximum Internet activity, thereby unloading 3G communication channels for moderate “traffic eaters”. It is to be expected that just as 3G influenced the emergence of mobile markets, "cloud technologies" and other services, LTE networks will have a serious impact on the mobile market.
For providers, this is a huge opportunity to promote new services to the masses. The 3G era was characterized by simple apps, music content and casual games with minimal requirements. The 4G generation, with its potential for data transmission, in turn, can seriously develop the video component of the mobile world. We are talking not only about videos on Youtube and downloading movies from video hosting, but about a full-fledged mobile television, completely focused on customer requests. Of course, the increase in maximum speed will certainly affect the gaming segment: the time is not far when the battles of "skill" games with modern graphics will be transferred from laptops and PCs to portable media.
4G in Russian
As for Russia, it has not remained aloof from 4G. The first company to start promoting LTE technologies in the Russian Land was MegaFon. In addition to MegaFon, two more mobile giants provide access to the fourth generation of mobile Internet - MTS and Beeline. MegaFon currently has the largest 4G network, they have managed to install LTE in 38 regions of Russia. While the closest competitors have not even reached the first round number of 4G entities: MTS has 9 connected regions, Beeline has 8.
A little "science fiction" in the end. The Japanese from DoCoMo predict the launch of fifth generation networks (5G) by 2020. The next generation, compared to LTE technology, will have a hundredfold superiority in speed and a thousandfold in bandwidth. What internet speed will be available in 5-10 years? Will there be major changes in the mobile infrastructure? Will show time. Perhaps now seemingly fantastic 1Gb/sec will become the usual standard. In the meantime, domestic subscribers can stop drifting in the www-ocean and start surfing its expanses on the "4th cruising".
The idea of wireless mobile communication originated in the minds of scientists at the beginning of the 20th century. Work on the creation of a radiotelephone communication system was actively carried out both in Western countries and in the Soviet Union, however, the first working model of a cell phone appeared only in 1973, when the American company Motorola introduced the world to DynaTac, the first prototype of a portable cell phone.
Today, human life is almost impossible to imagine without mobile devices using wireless communication technologies. Over the past 35 years, 4 generations of cellular communication 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 applied technologies will be discussed in this article.
First generation - 1G
All first-generation standards were analog and had a lot of drawbacks. There were problems with both signal quality and technology compatibility.
Among the first generation mobile communication standards, the following are most widely used:
AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service). Used in USA, Canada, Australia and South American countries;
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 - northern mobile phone). Used in Scandinavian countries.
TZ-801 (TZ-802,TZ-803) developed in Japan.
Despite the existing problems with the quality and compatibility of standards, analog mobile networks still found commercial use. The Japanese were the first to do this in 1979, then in 1981 the analog network was launched in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and in 1983 in the USA.
Second generation - 2G
In 1982, a working group was formed by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Authorities, called GSM (French: Groupe Spécial Mobile - a special group on mobile communications). The purpose of the creation of the group is to study and develop a pan-European terrestrial mobile communication 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 mobile networks of the second generation appeared. The main difference between the second generation networks and the first is the digital method of data transmission. Digital data transmission technologies made it possible to introduce the text messaging service (SMS), and later, using the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) protocol, it became possible to access the Internet from mobile devices. The data transfer rate in second-generation networks was no more than 19.5 kbps.
The further growth of user demand for the mobile Internet has served as an impetus for the development of next generation networks. Intermediate stages between 2G and 3G networks were the generations conventionally called 2.5G And 2.7G.
generation 2.5G designated the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) technology, which made it possible to increase the data transfer rate to 172 kbps in theory, and up to 80 kbps 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 rate in such networks can theoretically reach 474 kbps, but in practice it rarely reaches 150 kbps.
Third generation - 3G
Work on the creation of 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 communication includes 5 standards: UMTS/WCDMA, CDMA2000/IMT-MC, TD-CDMA/TD-SCDMA, DECT and UWC-136. The most common of these are the UMTS/WCDMA and CDMA2000/IMT-MC standards. In Russia, the UMTS/WCDMA standard has become popular. Next, we suggest dwelling 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 used frequency range is 2110-2200 MHz. (often 5 MHz channel width). The data transfer rate in UMTS mode is no more than 2 Mbps (for a fixed subscriber), and when the subscriber is moving, depending on the speed of movement, it can drop to 144 Kbps.
HSDPA
HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) 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 significantly increased the data transfer rate in 3G networks. In its first implementation, the HSDPA protocol had a maximum data transfer rate of 1.2 Mbps. The data transfer rate in the next implementation of the HSDPA protocol was already 3.6 Mbps. At that moment, 3G modems gained great popularity and most users had modems that support this particular standard, the most popular models are Huawei E1550, ZTE mf180 (such instances are still found). As a result of further development of the HSDPA protocol, it was possible to increase the speed first to 7.2 Mbps (the most popular modems are Huawei E173, ZTE MF112), and then to 14.4 Mbps. (Huawei E1820, ZTE MF658) The pinnacle of HSDPA technology was DC-HSDPA technology, which could reach 28.8 Mbps. DC-HSDPA is essentially a two-channel variant of HSDPA.
HSPA+
HSPA+ is a technology based on HSDPA that implements more sophisticated signal modulation techniques (16QAM, 64QAM) and MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology. The maximum 3G speed can reach 21Mbps. This technology is already 3.5G.
DC-HSPA+
DC-HSPA+ technology with the fastest 3G Internet at 42.2 Mbps. In fact, this is a two-channel HSPA + with a channel width of 10 MHz. This technology is often called 3.75G.
All devices that support 3G networks also support previous generations. For example, the now obsolete 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 Mbps), i.e. network standards of both the second and third generations. The maximum speed at which this device can operate is 7.2 Mbps. The more "advanced" model Huawei E3131 for 2G/3G networks supports a set of standards, which includes, in addition to the above, HSPA +. The maximum achievable data download speed on this device is much higher and is 21 Mbps. But it should be noted that the maximum theoretical and real speeds differ quite a lot. For example, on huawei E1550, zte mf180 modems, where the maximum speed is 3.6 Mbps, in practice, you can achieve a speed of 1-2 Mbps, on Huawei E173, ZTE MF112 modems (maximum speed 7.2 Mbps) in practice 2-3.5 Mbps, this is subject to a good signal level and low load on the tower of the mobile operator. One of the factors in increasing the speed of 3G Internet is the use of a modem that supports the maximum speed of 3G. We recommend a modem, it not only supports the maximum speed of 3G Internet (up to 42.2 Mbps), but also 4G (up to 150 Mbps). Someone may object and say that there will never be 4G in his "hole", but do not forget that a few years ago you did not even dream of 3G. Technology does not stand still!
Fourth generation - 4G
3G, which has not yet exhausted its capabilities, is being replaced by new technologies, fourth-generation technologies (4G), which are more in line with the demands of the time. 4G generation technologies have set completely new requirements for the quality of the communication signal and its stability.
The LTE and WiMax standards are the brainchild of Hewlett-Packard and NTT DoCoMo joint research in the development of data transmission technologies in fourth-generation wireless networks.
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 an extension of the Wi-Fi wireless standard. Versions of the WiMAX standard are divided into fixed, intended for fixed subscribers, and mobile, for moving subscribers with a speed not exceeding 115 km/h. The first commercial WiMAX network was launched in Canada in 2005.
The LTE standard (Long-Term Evolution - long-term development) is essentially a continuation of the development of the GSM / UMTS standards and did not originally belong to the fourth generation of mobile communications. To date, it is LTE that is the main standard for fourth-generation networks (4G). First introduced by the aforementioned NTT DoCoMo, the world's largest Japanese mobile operator, the LTE standard, in its tenth release, LTE Advanced, has been selected by the International Telecommunication Union as the standard for fourth-generation wireless communications. The first commercial implementation of the LTE network was carried out in 2009 in Sweden and Norway.
The maximum theoretical data transfer rate in LTE networks is 326.4 Mbps. In practice, the data rate depends significantly on the bandwidth used by the operator. MegaFon mobile operator (40 MHz) has the widest frequency range today, which is a serious advantage over other domestic mobile operators that use a 10 MHz bandwidth. The maximum data transfer rate in an LTE network with a bandwidth of 10 MHz is 75 Mbps. Well, the maximum data transfer rate when using a bandwidth of 40 MHz can reach 300 Mbps.
Fifth generation - 5G
Work on the development of new standards for wireless data transmission is not stopping. 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 unequivocal information regarding the maximum data transfer rates in 5G networks yet, however, it is known that in experimental tests of 5G networks it was possible to achieve speeds of 25 Gb / s. This is dozens of times higher than the maximum data transfer rates in fourth-generation networks.
Hello dear readers.
If you still do not know what 3G is, then it's time to get acquainted with this technology. After all, at the time of its appearance it became a breakthrough, today it is used by millions of people, and fourth-generation communication is already on its heels. So don't skip this short article.
Parsing the term
Let's start with what the letter "G" stands for. In this context, it is capitalized in the word "generation" (generation). It means that this is the third generation of communication. It is logical to assume that there were two more in front of him.
The first refers to the days when cell phones were so big and heavy that they could inflict grievous bodily harm. The second is the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard known to many.
So we got to what 3g is. What does it imply? This is a set of services that includes voice radio communication (in a simple way, phone calls) and high-speed mobile Internet for data transmission. To enjoy these benefits, you need a smartphone or modem that supports this standard.
Speed
Subscribers tempted by modern technologies complain about the insufficient speed of mobile Internet. However, it is worth recognizing that, in comparison with its predecessor, 3G allows you to watch streaming video, make video calls and play online games even on your smartphone while on the go.
Judge for yourself: the maximum speed for highly mobile users (up to 120 km / h) is 144 kbps, for users with a speed of movement (up to 3 km / h) - 384 kbps, and if you sit in one place - 2048 kbps from.
Such standards for 3G are set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In general, data is transmitted over such a network at a speed of 3.6 Mbps.
Communication continuity
Another advantage of 3G over GSM is that the connection drops less frequently. 2G had frequency and time separation of channels, so when moving between broadcast stations, data transmission could slow down or the connection could be completely interrupted.
The third generation solved this problem by using "soft handover". The principle of operation is as follows: when you move away from one access point, another one picks up the connection - to which you are approaching. It turns out that the first begins to transmit less and less data, and the second more and more.
If you are in a city where the coverage is good, then the possibility of a disconnection is excluded. To save space, mobile operators install their antennas on the roofs of buildings. They are able to pick up a signal from a mobile device at a distance of up to 35 km.
Standards
A few words for those who are interested in the technical side of the issue. 3G involves 5 specifications of the IMT-2000 family, including TD-CDMA / TD-SCDMA (the Chinese have their own technology), UWC-136 and DECT.
But two of the five received the greatest popularity. They are based on a modification of CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). We are talking about UMTS (WCDMA) and CDMA2000 (IMT-MC).
The latter in Russia is caught at frequencies in the 450 MHz range. In general, this generation operates between the decimeter and centimeter ranges, that is, approximately in the space of 2 GHz.
That's all for what 3g is. I say goodbye to you until the next article on this site.
What is the maximum speed of the Internet 2G, 3G, 4G?
- 2G - from 9.6 to 474 Kbps;
- 3G - from 0.5 to 42.2 Mbps;
- 4G - from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
Apart from 2G, 3G And 4G There are a few more options, let's look at them all:
- 1G- phones of the first generation, could only transmit an audio analog signal. Speed transmission data in 1G- about 1.9 kbps.
- 2G- the second generation of cellular communications, the analogue signal was replaced by a digital one, it became possible to send text messages. Speed transmission data in 2G- about 14 kbps.
- 2.5G- the intermediate generation, GPRS appeared and the development of the mobile Internet began. Speed transmission data in 2.5G- in theory 144 kbps, in practice 40-60 kbps.
- 2.75G or EDGE- more like a superstructure than a whole generation. But, speed transmission data in 2.75G- 474 kbps.
- 3G- cozy modernity, a breakthrough in communication speed, a full-fledged third generation. Speed transmission data in 3G- about 2 Mbps.
- 3.5G or HSPA- the first step into a brighter future, a third-generation superstructure. Speed transmission data in 3.5G- about 3.6 Mbps.
- 4G- the future that has arrived. Most often, the fourth generation is equated with LTE, but this is not entirely true. LTE is one of the branches of technology. Speed transmission data in 4G- approximately 86 Mbps for download and 382 Mbps for upload.
- 5G- this standard already exists, but not yet in the broad masses. Speed transmission data in 4G- up to 7 Gbps.
Now it is predominantly 2G, but recently phones have already come out with 3G. My model does not personally support triji.
2G - usually about twenty kbps
3G - twenty megabytes per second
4G - appeared recently, and its speed is about fifty Mb / s.
Maximum internet speeds:
But I would like to note, as many believe wrongly. When downloading, your speed is divided by 8, i.e. for example, you have a 4G network with a speed of 100 Mbps, then the download will be performed at a maximum of 12.5 Mbps.
No, now I would say that mainly with 3G, and 2G is, as they say, piece of woodquot ;.
And pieces of wood take for communication, and not something else.
And most importantly, whether it's 2G, 3G or 4G, it all depends on the signal, the more, the higher the speed ...
The first generation of 1G wireless internet is obsolete and no longer in use.
2G - mobile Internet with speed up to 115 kbps,
3G - mobile wireless Internet at speeds up to 20 Mb / s,
4G - high-speed mobile Internet with speeds up to 50 Mb / s.
In a 2G network, the data transfer rate can reach the following values: from 9.6 to 474 Kbps.
In a 3G network, the speed can be - from 0.5 to 42.2 Mbps
In a 4G network, speed values can be from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
The speed of data transfer using 2G, 3G, 4G wireless technologies varies quite a lot. For example, 2G technology allows you to transfer data on the Internet at a speed of approximately up to 14.4 kbps, 3G - up to 20 Mbps, 4G in theory for stationary objects up to 1 Gbps.
For no one The secret is that, since 2015, the popularity of such communication technology as 3G is growing every day. Now every smartphone, tablet and laptop can access the Internet through 3G technology. And all mobile operators mainly focus on providing high data transfer rates and the volume of Internet traffic.
What is the speed of 3G Internet
Unlike wired Internet, which is characterized by stable data transmission via cables, 3G Internet cannot boast of this. Here, the speed of the Internet may depend on a whole list of reasons. For example, a heavy network load, various interference or a banal distance from the signal source - the base station.
Based on rich and long-term experience of working with all well-known mobile operators, as well as feedback from our customers, we can conclude that often in reality we get 3G Internet speed somewhere in half less than declared by one or another operator. There is nothing unusual or bad about this. In addition, it is known that in the morning and at night the speed of data transmission and reception is slightly higher than in the evening or during the day. By the way, such statistics are observed on weekends and holidays, when many users of the worldwide network are at home and thus load the network.
Unfortunately the ideal none of us can achieve data transfer conditions, especially speaking about 3G technology, so the speed indicators that we get as a result are quite understandable, reasoned and quite sufficient.
Should be clarified the concept of sufficiency of 3G Internet speed in general, as well as what indicators each operator promises us.
Fast 3G Internet Mobile Operators
To start, let's say about the 3G network channel itself, which is asynchronous. That is why we see such a difference in the speed of 3G Internet at signal reception and transmission, where the last value can be 3 times higher than the first.
the biggest and a wide coverage map of 3G Internet has a mobile operator Intertelecom. By connecting it, you can get a guaranteed Internet connection in 70 percent of the entire country. It is known that Intertelecom can work in two standards:
- Rev.A is the most popular standard in Ukraine, which provides 3G Internet at speeds up to 3.1 Mbps.
- Rev.B - this standard provides download speeds up to 14.7 Mbps, and uploads - 5.2 Mbps
At first sight such indicators may seem insufficient, since many are accustomed to wired Internet, where the speed is ten times higher.
However, here you should understand the Internet traffic and what speed is needed for it. So, even an indicator of 3.1 Mbps will be enough for quite comfortable networking with any Internet resources, social networks and even small Internet video files. Communication in Skype, Viber, Telegram, WhatsUp and other instant messengers and social networks will not be much different when using wired Internet. Transferring some bulky and “heavy” files over the Internet at such a 3G Internet speed will be possible, but at the same time a lengthy process. But with Rev.B technology, such a task will be solved in an extremely short time frame.
Along with the above CDMA operator Intertelecom, GSM operators announced much higher rates of Internet speed 3G. Today, the mobile operator that provides its users with the highest speed of receiving and uploading data is lifecell. The declared speed of lifecell is 42.2 Mbps, which, of course, is impossible in real conditions.
About the same speed indicators are promised by Kyivstar and Vodafone. Based on the results of the experiment by the technical department of Mir3G, we can safely say that modern 3G technology provides 3G Internet speeds up to 26 Mbps. Obviously, such a speed practically does not limit the user in any way: neither in the transfer of bulk data (text, graphics, video, audio), downloading / uploading files, viewing Internet video content with virtually no delays. Separately, we can say about the mobile operator Utel (Trimob), whose 3g Internet speed can reach 7.1 Mbps. As mentioned above, this is a good indicator of speed. The only drawback of Trimob is a small 3G coverage map, unlike Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell.
How to get the fastest 3G Internet speed
In this matter the key is not only the operator to which you are connected, but also the equipment through which the connection is provided. In some cases, you can be content with a regular smartphone. However, at the moment, many users prefer to use 3G WiFi routers or 3G modems. Such Internet equipment has a huge list of models that differ in the connection method (USB port or WiFi technology), supported operation standards (CDMA, GSM) and, accordingly, mobile operators.
On the company website Mir3G, you can choose a router with 3G for every "taste" and for any needs. And technical specialists will help you in case of any questions or problems at any time.
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