Are you below, in line with, or above the national average in regards to the number of technology devices you own? Two years ago, in 2017, GlobalWebIndex researched the number of technology devices a person owns. Their results concluded, that in the United States, the average person owns approximately 3.23 technology devices each. In today’s ever-expanding world of technology, there is only so much network bandwidth that can support the numerous amounts of devices. Additionally, as years pass, technology will advance and individuals will own more and more devices slowing down the network bandwidth. The rate in which people expect instant gratification will continue to be on the rise requiring network providers to supply faster speeds for their users and their devices.
Network providers began to see the issue that was quickly arising and decided to engineer a way to accommodate for all the devices that will be uploading and downloading data from the server. The first generation of wireless cellular telecommunications (1G) was introduced in 1980 and used analog networks. Technology that used the 1G network included devices such as car phones, operator switchboards, and with a few cell towers for signal, it also allowed for talkie-talkies and radios. The second-generation technology advancement (2G) overtook the telecommunications world in 1991 when it was commercially launched in Finland. On the 2G network, users could begin data transmission but only up to 170Kbps. Approximately 10 years later, 2G was superseded by what was known as the way of the future, 3G data communication. It was all the craze, desired by many to have in order to have enhanced audio and video streaming. It supported web conferencing, internet web browsing all at faster data transfer speeds. Like all good things though, that too had its days of prime but came to an end when it was overshadowed by the 4G network. 4G wireless cellular telecommunications showed up on the screen around 2010 and has been partnered with LTE. Many individuals do not know the difference between the two networks, so much so when cell service goes bad and 4G networks come up, the user will not even notice.
Like most Americans, the differences between 4G and LTE is so substantial that people don’t give a second thought when their device bounces back and forth between the two. LTE stands for long term evolution and was the original implementation of 4G technology. When 4G services were introduced by network providers, a majority of network providers were unable to meet the requirement set by the International Telecommunication Union - Radiocommunication (ITU-R’s). This means the data speeds were significantly slower than the created 4G specifications. As in the name of LTE, the evolution part allows for improvements to be made to the wireless broadband in order to meet the increasing demands. ITU-R set a requirement of the network to have a connection speed of at least 100 megabits per second when mobile, and at least 1 gigabit per second when stationary such as a hotspot. Since the requirements set by ITU-R for being a true 4G network was so unachievable at the time, companies marketed their networks as 4G-LTE. This allows them to stay competitive within the market yet also stay compliant with the ITU-R regulations. 4G came out almost 10 years ago now though, the natural cycle is showing itself, and the next generation of cellular telecommunications is on the rise with 5G.
5G networks are the up and coming internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections for smartphones and other devices alike. It will provide users with cutting-edge network technology and offers faster connections, for example, download speeds around 1GBps. As we live in a world that is increasing in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), providing a stable infrastructure is a necessity. This will allow for a faster, smarter, and more connected world for generations to come. While the 5G network is not fully launched yet, there are a few select areas around the world where the networks do already exist. It is predicted to have a worldwide launch in 2020 while maintaining 3G and 4G-LTE technology as well to ensure connectivity regardless of location. Are you ready for the launch of 5G networks, 2020 is right around the corner.
