What are 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G networks ?
1G networks (NMT, C-Nets, AMPS, TACS)
1G is considered to be the first analog cellular systems, which started early 1980s. There were radio telephone systems even before that. 1G networks were conceived and designed purely for voice calls with almost no consideration of data services
2G networks (GSM, CDMAOne, D-AMPS)
2G is short for Second Generation, the name usually given to original GSM, CDMA, and TDMA networks. 1G, a term rarely used, would refer to the original analog (AMPS) type mobile networks first used in the early 1980s.
2.5G networks (GPRS, CDMA2000 1x)
2.5G are the enhanced versions of 2G networks with theoretical data rates up to about 144kbit/s. GPRS offered the first always-on data service.
3G networks (UMTS FDD and TDD, CDMA2000 1x EVDO, CDMA2000 3x, TD-SCDMA, Arib WCDMA, EDGE, IMT-2000DECT)
3G stands for the third generation of mobile connection technology, and is the second (after 2G) to support data as well as voice and SMS. 3G was first rolled-out in the USA by Verizon in 2002 and currently (as of 2013) is used as the primary data network by most smartphones globally. The average 3G speed globally is 1.5Mbps, which represented a huge step forward in comparison to 2G which currently averages 0.3Mbps. The data speeds made possible by 3G facilitated the mobile-optimised Internet, allowing for fast browsing from a mobile device on the move. 3G is in the process of being superseded by 4G LTE, which offers even faster speeds without the need for a fixed connection.
LTE
LTE (often labelled 4G for marketing purposes) stands for Long Term Evolution and is a form of cellular wireless connection that represents a significant upgrade to 3G in terms of data speeds. The technical definition of 'true' 4G is that it should have data speeds capable of reaching 100Mbp/s while on moving transport and 1Gbp/s when stationary. While LTE is much faster than 3G, it has yet to reach the International Telecoms Union's (ITU) technical definition of 4G. LTE does represent a generational shift in cellular network speeds, but is labelled 'evolution' to show that the process is yet to be fully completed.
4G NETWORK
3G stands for the third generation of mobile connection technology, and is the second (after 2G) to support data as well as voice and SMS. 3G was first rolled-out in the USA by Verizon in 2002 and currently (as of 2013) is used as the primary data network by most smartphones globally. The average 3G speed globally is 1.5Mbps, which represented a huge step forward in comparison to 2G which currently averages 0.3Mbps. The data speeds made possible by 3G facilitated the mobile-optimised Internet, allowing for fast browsing from a mobile device on the move. 3G is in the process of being superseded by 4G LTE, which offers even faster speeds without the need for a fixed connection.
LTE
LTE (often labelled 4G for marketing purposes) stands for Long Term Evolution and is a form of cellular wireless connection that represents a significant upgrade to 3G in terms of data speeds. The technical definition of 'true' 4G is that it should have data speeds capable of reaching 100Mbp/s while on moving transport and 1Gbp/s when stationary. While LTE is much faster than 3G, it has yet to reach the International Telecoms Union's (ITU) technical definition of 4G. LTE does represent a generational shift in cellular network speeds, but is labelled 'evolution' to show that the process is yet to be fully completed.
4G NETWORK
4G stands for the fourth generation of mobile connection speeds, and is the first to bring broadband internet to the smartphone without being connected to Wi-Fi. 4G has a strict technical definition (see our 'What is LTE?' section) but essentially it makes use of different spectrum frequencies to either 2G or 3G and uses this new spectrum band to bring much faster cellular data speeds to cell phones. At the beginning of 2013, average global 4G LTE speeds were 10.4 Mbps while average 3G speeds were only 1.5Mbps. Some research therefore suggests that 4G LTE is currently seven times faster than 3G speeds.
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