Different Types of GSM Networks

G,2G, 3G, H +, 4G, 5G: these acronyms have marked the evolution of communication networks over the past 30 years.

These small logos present on mobile phones indeed correspond to generations of telephone standards that have gradually emerged with the development of telecommunications networks.

The GSM network is one of these telephone standards, and its creation was the starting point of an adventure that revolutionized mobile telephony as we know it today.

So let's take a closer look at what GSM is, how it is structured and how it has evolved.

What is GSM?

Launched by CEPT (European Conference of Telecommunications Stations), GSM is the first standard for digital cellular telephony. It was designed to overcome the heavy and bulky aspect of the first mobile terminals.

It was not only a question of the comfort of use but also of cost and compatibility between fixed telephones and mobile telephones.

The project was very successful and GSM was officially launched in 1991. In contrast to its predecessor (1st generation analog network), it was qualified as a 2nd generation network.

With a theoretical speed of 9.6 kbit / s, its creation marked the opening to the transmission of digital data of low volumes such as SMS or MMS.

How Does GSM work?

A GSM device is a combination of two elements:

·         A terminal or mobile station.

·         A security module or SIM card which is issued by a telephone operator.

When a mobile station (the smartphone for example) connects to a GSM network, it searches for identification signals.

These GSM identification signals or frequencies are permanently transmitted by a relay antenna. If the mobile station does not find identification signals, this means that the user is in an uncovered area and any call is then impossible.

If it finds several ( GSM, CDMA, or UMTS ), it measures the strength of the received signal and chooses the antenna with the best signal. It then sends an identification signal to the corresponding antenna.

The antenna then transmits this information to switching the center which manages the mobile operator's network (Bouygues Telecom, SFR, Orange or Free Mobile).

The Different Types Of GSM Network

The GSM network is represented by the acronym " 2G " on all mobile phones (whether iPhone, Samsung, Nokia or other brands).

To date, there are different types of mobile network originating from GSM and serving both to make and to receive telephone calls and digital data.

The generation of these networks is determined by a number preceding the letter "G" and allows the user to be informed about the quality of the communication and the Internet connection speed.

We thus distinguish:

·         The 2.5 G network

Still qualified as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), the 2.5 G network offers a theoretical speed of 140 kb / s. Star of the late 20th century, it is considered today to be a very slow network.

In the 2.5 G category, there is also the EDGE standard. It is an evolution of GPRS and can be compared to a 2.75G network. It offers a theoretical maximum speed of 384 kb / s.

·         The 3 G network

The 3G Network marks the mobile telephony era of 3 ^th generation, with several intermediate generations like 3G and 3G ++.

This new era was that of mobility on any medium, on any destination and on any use for access to:

·         Websites.

·         Videos.

·         Png files.

·         Multimedia, etc.

Sometimes displayed under the acronym UMTS, it offers an average speed of around 1.2 Mbit / s.

Under its 3G ++ version, it reaches a theoretical maximum speed of 41 Mbit / s, allowing surfing, watching movies or downloading mobile applications in a fluid way.

What Changes with 4G?

The 4G network allows you to connect with a mobile as quickly as with a home computer via an ADSL connection.

It offers a theoretical speed of more than 100 Mbit / s and makes it possible to watch TV as well as to send videos and many other large digital data.

With 4G, everything is digital, even voice communications use the Internet protocol: this is called voice over IP.

How Does 4G work?

4G uses a communication technology called LTE (Long Term Evolution) which in reality corresponds to 3.9G because we do not quite reach the speeds set by international conventions. However, some operators have not hesitated to market LTE as 4G.

The real 4G is LTE Advanced, and there, accessing websites or downloading applications and png files is even faster. All modern smartphones are compatible with 4G.

It is a telephone standard offering a theoretical maximum speed of 1 Gbit / s.

5G: Towards What Digital Future?

As the name suggests, the 5G network is the fifth generation of analog radio. It should reach 100 times the speed of 4G and 1000 times the speed of 3G.

According to experts, laboratory tests have shown that it is possible to reach 12 Gb / s in 5G mode.

However, the 5G network will only be available when 4G is saturated by connected objects, but this will not happen before 2020.

Conclusion

Mobile communication is the transmission of digital signals. Nothing, therefore, prevents the transmission of digital data from other sources such as photos or web pages, except that the amount of information is much greater and requires higher transmission rates. It is for this reason that the 3G network and 4G complement the GSM network or 2G network.