17 Telecommunication: Standards&Generations

Suchit Purohit

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Learning Objectives:

  • Introduction
  • Understanding the need of Standards
  • Bodies of Standardization
  • ITU History
  • Generations in Telecommunication
  • Comparison of 1G,2G,3G,4G & 5G
  • Summary

Introduction

 

This module discusses about the need of the standards, internationally recognized bodies for creating and maintaining standards, role of ITU in framing the telecommunication standards, its history and different sectors of ITU. The generations of telecommunication is also discussed in this module. The revolution started from 1970 and still it is going on in Telecom industry. Different generation comparison table can make you understand the path telecom industry has followed from 0G to 5G. Most of the people around the world are dependent on mobile networks and devices. These technologies are increasing the human dependencies on the mobile devices. In a nut shell we can say that Telecommunication is playing a major role in the lives of people that too wireless communication.

 

Need of Standards

 

The telecommunication standards are needed for Interoperability, Quality insurance, Consistency of evolution. These are published documents which consist of different specifications and procedures that ensure the reliability of the materials, products, methods & services people use every day.

 

A standard gives the basic building block to develop consistent protocols which are internationally understood and adopted. A standard increase compatibility, interoperability and simplify any development.

 

As standards are globally implemented and applied in many markets, they stimulate international deal. With the help of standards inter connectivity and interoperability is to be achieved.

Bodies of Standardization

 

There are different International, government, semi- official and volunteer organization which provide standards. All the standards are well designed, authenticated and published documents. Some of the organizations are as under:

  • ITU (International Telecommunication Union)- It allocate the global spectrum and satellite orbit, develop the technical standards and monitor the global interconnec It is committed to connect the whole world.
  • ETSI (European Telecommunication Standardization Institute)- it produces internationally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies, including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, broadcast and internet technologie
  •  Volunteer organization such as 3GPP & 3GGP2: They cover all GSM, W-CDMA and LTE specifications, and the emerging 5G specifica.

ITU History

 

ITU started from 1865 with Telegraphy in Paris. ITU became United Nations recognized agency in 1947.

Year Invention
1865 International Telegraphy Union
1885 Telephony
1903 Wireless telegraphy
1906 Radiotelegraph convention
1932 Combined Wireless telegraphy and Radiotelegraph
1947 UN recognized agency for Telecommunication
1992 Three sectors in ITU

Figure 1-> Transition from one stage to another

 

From  1992  the  three  sectors  in  ITU  are  ITU-R  that  is  Radio  transmission,  ITU-D  that  is Development, ITU-T standardization which are depicted in Figure 2:

 

Figure 2-> ITU three sectors

Figure 3: ITU-R Management details

Figure 4: ITU-T Management details

 

Generationsin Telecommunication

 

Wireless communication is the transfer of data and information without wire through some distance. The distance can be short (within room like TV), long(one place to another place which in KM through Radio transmission). It encompasses around various types of fixed devices, mobile devices or two way radio cellular devices.

 

Zero Generation (0G)

 

It refers to pre cellular mobile telephone technology. It was used in 1970s. These phones usually mounted in car, truck. Briefcase models were used at that time. It is used by Finland and Germany in 1971 and 1972 respectively.

 

First Generation (1G)

 

1G was introduced in 1980s and continued until being replaced by 2G.It is circuit oriented communication system. First generation mobile system used analog transmission for speech services. 1G system gives handover and roaming services but this network was unable to give international  roaming.  This  was  one  of  the  inevitable  disadvantages of the first generation mobile network.

  • Major standards are Analog cellular or AMPS, TACS, NMT900, NTT.
  • AMTS is advanced mobile phone service.
  • The AMPS system is a circuit oriented communication system that operates in the 824 MHz to 894MHz frequency range.

Up link: 825 MHz to 845 MHz

Down link: 870 MHz to 890 MHzSecond Generation (2G)

 

2G systems were introduced by 1990. It uses digital multiple access technology such as TDMA and CDMA. It offers low bit rate data services above the traditional speech service. It supports Digital voice and low speed data. It uses modulation technique GMSK, DPSK and QPSK. It assigns fixed frequency. It supports international roaming. It has ability to support low powered handheld terminals. It has high security and higher capacity.

 

Features of 2G:

  • Going all digital allowed for the introduction of digital data services like SMS & E-mail.
  • 2G phones are immensely more private than 1G phone.
  • Phone last much longer between charges.
  • Low powered radio signals required loss battery power, so batteries can smaller.
  • Low power emissions helped to address health concerns
  • It use to GSM-900 standards.

Up link: 890 MHz to 915 MHz (25 MHz)

Down link: 935 MHz to 960 MHz (25 MHz)

Third Generation

 

WCDMA is 3G technology evolve from GSM and in Europe it is called UMTS (Universal  Terrestrial  Mobile System).  3G  network  helps  operators  to  give  various wider range services to the users by achieving higher network capacity by improved spectral efficiency. Additional features also  include HSPA data transmission capabilities able to deliver speeds up to 14.4 Mbps on the downlink and 5.8 Mbps on the uplink.

 

Features of 3G:

  • Wide band CDMA (UMTS) Universal Mobile Telecommunication System uses direct sequence spread spectrum.
  • It’sspeed up to 2.048 Mbps on the down link.
  • Uses both FDD and TDD mode.
  • Minimum forward channel bandwidth of 5 MHz
  • Automatic global roaming
  • Broadband wireless data.
  • Uses smart antenna.
  • Support multimedia services.
  • Permanent web connection at 2Mbps
  • HSPDA (high speed packet data access)
  • Internet, phone and multimedia: 3 in 1.

Fourth Generation

 

4G is an IP-based integrated system which is capable to provide high mobility and low mobility, with end-to-end QoS and provide high security, to various services at any time as per user requirements, anywhere with seamless interoperability at affordable cost. The user services include IP telephony, ultra broadband Internet access, gaming services, video calls, mobile TV and HDTV streamed multimedia.

 

Features of 4G:

  • Good Connectivity- wireless and wire line
  • Interoperability
  • Data rates : 100 Mbps and more
  • Provide interactive multimedia, streaming video, internet
  • High speed, High capacity, and low cost per bit
  • International roaming
  • Enhanced spectral efficiency
  • Improved scheduling

Fifth Generation (5G)

 

It is the next stage of mobile telecommunication. It is faster than 4G. It has a expected speed of 1 Gbps. The ETSI is working on 5G standards, which will be framed by 2019. Major Telecom Giant such as Nokia, DoKoMo and  Fujitsu  are  working  for the innovations in 5G technologies

 

Features of 5G:

  • Artificial intelligence in wearable devices
  • International standards
  • Computing everywhere
  • 1Gbps or higher bandwidth
  • Best Quality Of Service (QoS).
  • Pages will upload almost instantly
  • Provide interactive multimedia, streaming video, Internet etc

Comparison of 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G & 5G

 

Technology

  

1G

  

2G

  

3G

  

4G

  

5G
Start 1970 1980 1990 2000 2014
Deployment 1984 1999 2002 2010 2020
Data Bandwidth 2Kbps 15-64 Kbps 2Mbps 200 Mbps 1Gbps
Technology Analog Cellular Digital Cellular CFMS/IP Technology Unified IP 4G+WWWW
Multiplexing FDMA TDMA/CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA
Switching Circuit Switching Circuit + Packet  Switching Packet Switching Packet Switching Packet Switching
Internet Services No Internet Narrowband Broadband ltra broadband Ultra broadband
Advantages Simple network MMS,SMS features High Security , International Roaming Global mobility, High Speed High Security, Best Quality of Service
Disadvantages Limited capacity, large phone size Low network range More power consumption, Low network coverage Hard to implement Complicated hardware required
Application Voice Calls Voice calls, SMS, MMS Mobile TV, GPS Wearable devices Wearable devices with AI

Summary

  • Standards are mandatory for any industry.
  • International Telecommunication  Union  is  the  widely  recognized  body  for  telecom industry.
  • Three major sectors are Radio transmission(R), Standardization (T) and Development
  • The revolution in Telecommunication industry started from 1970.
  • 1G supported only voice calls while now we are using 4G which is supports voice, video, internet etc.
  • 5G is the next generation of the telecommunication.
you can view video on Telecommunication: Standards&Generations

Suggested Reading:

  1. Mobile Communication 2nd edition by Jochen Schiller, Pearson education
  2. Mobile Computing by Asoke Talukder, Roopa Yavagal (Tata McGraw Hill)
  3. “Wireless communication and networking” by William Stallings
  4. Mobile Cellular Telecommunications — W.C.Y. Lee, Mc Graw Hill
  5. Wireless Communications – Theodore. S. Rapport, Pearson Education
  6. Reza B’Far (Ed), “Mobile Computing Principles”, Cambridge University Press.