Communications between people date back to 1854, when the inventor Antonio Meucci (Italian) created the first telephone in history; Later, Graham Bell was in charge of patenting an invention that ended up transforming society. Gone are those years, especially when we currently all live with a mobile phone in our pockets; device that we use to communicate and for endless tasks and management of work and leisure. The transformation of the telephony sector has been outstanding and that is also explained by reviewing the evolution of mobile networks, which allow us all these communicative actions.
What types of mobile networks are there?
The origin of mobile networks dates back to the 1970s, which led to the creation of the pillars on which mobile communications are currently based. Of course, with many evolutionary processes. In the past, it was only possible to communicate through large, heavy devices with no additional functionality than the current ones.
Gradually, technological advances were improving mobile networks : 2G incorporated another great advance in the form of text messages (SMS); 3G enabled us to surf the Internet for the first time; 4G increased the speed; 5G allowed us to live the future as if it were the present with immediate communications and a wide variety of communication resources; The next thing will be 6G, which is slowly entering our communicative lives.
What is a mobile network?
In a simple way, we will say that they are in charge of making communications viable through a series of stations that cover a certain area , and that they are managed by telephone companies. The mobile phone connects to these communication towers, which in turn is connected to the operator. Obviously, if the device ‘changes’ its location, it will connect with other antennas that cover that new area. The connection is through radio transmissions, never through fiber or copper cable as is the case with the Internet.
The 8 most common types of connections
Put in historical context and enumerated the most common connections, let’s go into detail to know the most significant characteristics.
-1G: this first mobile network made it possible to talk by mobile phone, although there were coverage problems and very few users. Also, this type of mobile networks were not universal, each nation had a differential characteristic.
-2G (or GPRS): it is also known as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and although it was not very fast either, it did represent an advance when it came to communication: the possibility of sending text messages was added to the voice option.
-3G: mobile networks began to be standardized with the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) system and a considerable increase in speed, which allowed the first Internet accesses.
-4G: this technology was a first revolution. Connections improved in speed and the use of mobile devices became popular among the population. Currently, and it still happens in Spain, it is the most used technology and for which there are most mobile rates on the market.
-5G: This wireless network means the future of communications, although not all areas can enjoy it yet, nor are all devices prepared to connect to NSA (Non Standalone) and SA (Standalone) technologies, nor are they offered at the moment. all phone companies.
-6G: in the coming decades, this mobile network will revolutionize the entire planet with breakneck speeds, advances in robotization or lower consumption.
