Mobile Telecommunications Systems

First generation (1G) of wireless communication (mobile telecommunications) was based on analog radio technology. The analog telecommunications standards were introduced in the 1980s. After that they were replaced with digital radio signals, which is actually the beginning of 2G networks (second generation).

One such standard is CT-1 (Cordless telephone - 1). Other examples for these analog standards are:

>> AMPS - Advanced Mobile Phone System (used in north America)
>> TACS - Total Access Communications System (used in Europe)
>> NTT - Nippon Telephone and Telegraph System (used in Japan)
>> NMT - Nordic Mobile Telephone (used in north Europe)
>> C-450 - (used in Germany)


The second generation (2G) of mobile telecommunication networks is based on digital radio technology. The most popular 2G standards are:

>> GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications (Europe)
>> IS-54 - Interim Standard (America)
>> NDC - Nippon Digital Cellular (Japan)


3G (third generation) standard for mobile telecommunication networks is UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunication System. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations with the initial scope to make a globally applicable third-generation (3G) mobile phone system specification based on evolved GSM specifications.


Candidates for the fourth generation (4G) standards are:

>> LTE Advanced - Long-term-evolution Advanced
>> 3GPP LTE
>> Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) - Mobile Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
>> Flash OFDM - Flash Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
>> UMB - Ultra Mobile Broadband