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The mobile industry may only 20 to 30 years old but even in this short time span, we have been witness to drastic and dramatic changes which have revolutionized the world. No other industry can claim such drastic improvement as the mobile industry. Mobiles are no more fanciful toys, they have become a necessity for every section of the society whether in the corporate world or end users. Necessity is the mother of invention, they say and in that respect, the necessity of the mobile industry is the mother of the latest technology.

The term G in mobiles phones stands for Generation. The period from 1G to 4G is very short and the structure of mobile phones has been completely revamped in a small time frame. The 1G technology was the period when mobile phones were widely available. The 2G technology period began in the early 1990’s when mobile phones switched to digital format and text messaging was introduced. The second generation of mobile phone technology is still visible in mobiles these days, because of the introduction of the Global System for Mobile Communications. The standard system GSM allows the access of network when users carry the phone out of country. The second generation of mobiles was considerably smaller; as mobile circuitry became more sophisticated. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) came about during the second generation. 

Each generation lasted for a considerable number of years. There were a number of improvements and innovations that were introduced, however the major newsworthy ones took place in 3G generation which totally changed the style, purpose and functionality of mobile phones. The enhanced efficiency of data transferring and most of the high technological phones these days are based on 3G network. The rapid speed of internet in mobile was brought with the introduction of EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution). It has brought better connectivity, better download speeds and the overall improved availability, reliability and sturdiness of mobile data networks.

Now here comes the 4G which is several steps up from the 3G technology widely used these days. The term 4G known as fourth generation of wireless service has created curiosity among mobile users. 4G has not yet been officially defined as to what exactly it will constitute, however there is a speculation that it will provide a boost in speed for online activities for e.g., downloading and uploading of files, gaming and watching HD videos over the internet. Videoconferencing is difficult on 3G and might work better on 4G. There are various contenders who claim the exclusive use of 4G technology, however two of the frontrunners are Wimax and LTE.    

Two mobile manufacturers in the U.S are claiming the use of 4G technology in their phones.

Whereas the Sprint claims its Wimax network can download at speeds ten times faster than on 3G , on the other hand Verizon says its LTE network is expected to deliver speeds between 5mbps and 12mbps.

Whichever technology will end up being used in 4G, it would be used mainly for internet access and carrying cell phone communications. The areas which will have strong coverage of 4G will be able to use home broadband connections without cables. It can also be used by mobile users on the move when using wireless connections.

At the end we can say the journey from 3G to 4G is not as dramatic as it is from 2G to 3G, which for the first time made real Web browsing, video and music downloads practical on phones. But cell phone carriers are definitely on the right path to technological advancements and blazing speeds.

Tags: the journey of mobile phones, 1g, 2g, 3g, 4g, 1g to 4g, cell phone, mobile phones