4G: The Next Standard Phase in Communication - Report Example

4G: The next Standard Phase in Communication Name of Student: Name of Professor: Name of Course: Code of the Course: Date of Submission: Abstract Advances in technological developments have been transforming communication in the world. This report will take a deep insight into the network and data interchange standards in the world. The report will analyze the developments from 1G to 4G standards. A special focus will be given to 4G, which are the latest standards in the market. With respect to 4G networks, the ape will analyze he different bandwidths in various countries which makes it impossible to get gadgets which can work in all parts of the world. The report will also evaluate the input which the Qualcomm RF360 Chipset, a chip with roaming capabilities, will have on 4G. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Table of Figures 3 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 4G Networks 4 2.1 Long Term Evolution 5 3.0 The Evolution of the Broadband Access Technologies 1G to 4G 5 3.1 1G 5 3.2 2G 5 3.2.1 2.5 G 6 3.3 3 G 6 4.0 The Lack of Globalization in 4G enabled Gadgets 7 4.1 What Qualcomm RF360 Chipset Means to 4G communication 7 5.0 Conclusion 7 References 8 Table of Figures Figure 1The evolution of the 3GPP family (4G Americas 2013, p.1) 5 Figure 2Network connections in the world (World Time Zones 2013, p.1) 6 4 G: The Next Standard Phase in Communication 1.0 Introduction Sometime this year, this post on the Facebook wall of a friend who had just graduated from campus’ I would like to dedicate my Degree to Google, You stood by me in my research and especially so in the assignments. To my Samsung Galaxy, I have mad respect for you; you never failed me” stands to be noted. Oblivious of the fact that the friend may have been using the phone in to accomplish his academic work, one cannot fail to acknowledge the power of mobile telecommunications. Over time, communication has changed from wired to wireless. As at today, the mobile phone is a must have gadget; in fact, it is sometimes graded with the personal items. The mobile phone has also transformed over time. The voice communication gadget of the past 2 decades cannot match the capabilities of the modern phones. In fact, they have been labeled smart phones owing to their smart abilities. The ability of mobile phones and other technology gadgets like laptops and tablets to connect to the internet is a major factor of consideration in the modern technologies (Kamaravel S2011, P.256). The internet and call connectivity speed, the voice clarity, the resolution of images and videos and the clarity of media functions are some of the features of technology gadgets which have been improving over time. The following report will give an in-depth discussion of the 4G standards and other network based aspects of wireless communication. 2.0 4G Networks 4G is the latest wireless network technology in the market. As opposed to its predecessor network generations; 4G is not based on an Internet Protocol (IP) which makes it more efficient with respect to data transfer, voice connectivity in addition to other features associated with 4G enabled gadgets. 4G technology has come at a time when there is a high increase in the use of data in the world. On this point, it is important to note that the internet has become a very important communication, networking and professional aspect of life. It is a major factor leading to globalization due to its efficiency in connecting people across the world simultaneously. As a result of this, internet service providers have been faced with a problem of providing high speed data in addition to ensuring that they are able to handle the internet traffic appropriately (Yang 2004, p.344). This has led to the research and development of networks with an aim of ensuring that the networks standards match the user demands in the market. 4G is not limited to mobile telecommunication systems but it’s scope is to all broadband wireless access technological gadgets.4G allows for high data transfer rates, up to 20Mbps which is a very big difference as compared to the 2Mbps associated with 3G networks (Kmaravel 2011, p.257). There are various systems used in 4G networks. The most prominent of them is Long Term Evolution, LTE. Ideally, looking at many 4G enabled gadgets, one cannot fail to notice the LTE inscriptions. 2.1 Long Term Evolution Long Term Evolution is a radio communication platform which enables communication operators to realize higher data transfer peaks as compared to the ones achieved in HSPA+. LTE is a development in the GSM transformation path (4G Americas 2013, p.1). As pointed out earlier, the aim of the service providers and the wireless communication gadgets manufactures has to increases the connectivity speeds and the quality of services offered by the gadgets. This has led to the steady development of data and information interchange standards generation wise; from 1st Generation all the way to 4th Generation. Behind each generation, there have been steady developments in radio communication platforms as seen in the following figure. Figure 1 3GPP Family Technology Evolution Figure 1The evolution of the 3GPP family (4G Americas 2013, p.1) 3GPP is a term used to refer to 4G in technical terms. Gadgets are able to connect to 4G networks via An LTE network. Currently, the LTE network range in the world is from 850 – 1400 3.0 The Evolution of the Broadband Access Technologies 1G to 4G As indicated earlier, broadband access standards have developed from 1G to the current 4G. The following section will give an overview of this evolution. 3.1 1G 1ST Generation standards were the earlier technologies which were used in mobile phone communication technologies. 1G was based on an analogue system. The standards took root in the 1970’s when cellular communication had started to pick across the globe. The developments on the microprocessor made it possible for the mobile phone manufactures to reduce the size of the cell phones. 1G made use of Advanced Mobile Phone System, AMPS, Total Access Communication, TACS and Nordic Mobile Telephone, NMT (Ashiho 2003, p.1). The main weakness with 1G is that it was only capable of transmitting analogue information. 3.2 2G The 2nd Generation standards were developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s so as to provide high speed connectivity and also make moves towards achieving digital data transfer in the communication systems. However, the main objectives of 2G were to increase the network coverage, increased the capacity of communication systems and to improve the quality of transmissions. 2G saw the introduction of multiple digital systems which were supported by the technological advances in the semiconductors. 2g made use of D –AMPS, Personal digital communication PDC and the Code Division Multiple Access Ashiho 2003, p.2). GSM is also a system which is used heavily in 2G standards. Its achievement was in improving voice calls and also made it possible for the exchange of data via short messaging services. 3.2.1 2.5 G Advancemans in 2G standards led to the development of 2.5g, a standard which used GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) for data transfer in addition to GSM. The packet aligned technology introduced a new wave in broadband connectivity speeds. It made it possible for service providers to provide high speed data transfer. 3.3 3 G Increased research led to the development of 3G standards. The speeds which came with 3G networks were great. As compared to the 188 kbps which were associated with 2G networks, 3G came with speeds of up to 2Mbps (Ballon 2004, p.364). 3G networks are the most widely used technologies in the world. In fact, there are several countries which are yet to enjoy 3G networks. With 3G enabled gadgets, users can stream videos online also enjoy video conferencing services due to the high speeds. However, 3G has to deal with the competition offered by 4G which is the latest entrant in the market. 3.4 4G 4G is the latest generation in the market. It has speeds of up to 20Mbps. It has been discussed in depth earlier in this report. The following figure shows the network co9nncetions in the world. Figure 2. Network connections in the world Figure 2Network connections in the world (World Time Zones 2013, p.1) 4.0 The Lack of Globalization in 4G enabled Gadgets Technology gadgets are able to access broadband via the action of microchips. Currently, manufactures are able to manufacture chips which have the capability of accessing a specific bandwidth. This makes it impossible for phones used in a specific country to be used in another country. This is owing to the fact that every country in the globe has a specific broadband width on which its 4G communications are based. Therefore, there are no global 4G gadgets. This would only be possible if the microchips had a roaming capability, making it possible for technology gadgets to select specific bandwidths which are used in specific countries (Henderson 2013,p.1). 4.1 What Qualcomm RF360 Chipset Means to 4G communication The Qualcomm RF360 Chipset is a chipset which has the capability to roam, hence enabling a gadget to select a specific bandwidth which is used in a specific country. The chipset is a result of a rigorous research and development program which was aimed at achieving a global 4G mobile phone. With this microchip, mobile phone manufacturers will be able to manufacture phones which have roaming capabilities; hence the users will be able to use them in different parts of the world (Henderson 2013, p.1). 5.0 Conclusion Concluding, it can be seen from this report that 4G networks have the capability of changing communication in the globe. With speeds of up to 20Mbps, 4G is certain to lead to an increased interne activity around the globe. However, the achievement of a global 4G enabled gadget has been a problem owing to the different bandwidths used in different countries. However, the Qualcomm RF360 Chipset will change the phase of communication, making it possible for gadgets to roam, hence achieving global 4G gadgets. The report has also given a deep insight into the evolution of mobile communication technologies in the world. From the report, it can be acknowledged that although customers will have to pay higher for global 4G gadgets, the Qualcomm RF360 Chipset will certainly change global communication. References Ashiho, L., 2003. Mobile Technology Evolution: 1G to 4G, Electronics For You, pp. 1-5 Ballon,P., 2004. Scenarios And Business Models For 4G In Europe. Fall,Vol.6, no.6, pp.363-382 4G Americas, 2013. LTE: Long Term Evolution, 4G Americas, Retrieved on 13th April from Henderson, R., 2013. Your Next 4G Smartphone Could Work Everywhere in the World, Thanks To Qualcomm RF360 Chip Set, Pocket –Lint, Retrieved on 13th April from Kamaravel, K., 2011. Comparative Study of 3G and 4G in Mobile Technology, International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 8, No 3, pp. 256 – 263 World Times Zone, 2013. 4G LTE Coverage Map, Retrieved on 11th April from Yang, S., 2012. Mobile Applications And 4G Wireless Networks: A Framework For Analysis, Campus-Wide Information Systems, Vol. 29 No. 5, pp. 344-357 Read More