Neeraj Dubey
Wireless Technology has transformed our lives in many ways. Until very recently, we needed a computer wired to a port, to get online. Even wired telephones are becoming a thing of past. Nowadays, we use our mobile phones for banking, to check ticket availability at a cinema hall, and many more. Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of enhanced electrical conductors or “wires”. And, Wireless networking refers to any kind of networking that does not involve cables. It helps in saving the cost of cables for networking in addition to providing the mobility. There are different types of wireless networks defined on the basis of their size, range and data transfer rate. Wireless PAN – Wireless Personal Area Network. Wireless LAN – Local Area network. Wireless MAN – Metropolitan Area Networks. Wireless WAN – Wide Area Networks, Mobile devices networks.
Mobile networks have evolved tremendously in last 3 decades. Cellular concept was introduced with 1G (‘G’ stands for generation) networks. Today, 4G technology is getting ready to storm the markets. A popular way to describe cellular technology is by generation with 1G referring to first generation analog cellular technology which was based on AMPS (analog mobile phone system) standard. It is designed for basic Voice calls. The only kind of data transfer is analog signal exchange between phones. 1G offers a data transfer speed of 0.6 to 3.4 kbps. The real starting point for comparing cellular technologies is with 2G, which made use of digital signals and which is used by the majority of today’s cell phones. It was based on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication). It offers a data transfer rate of about 144kbps. 2G enabled mobile phones provide services such as text messages, picture and mms. All text messages are digitally encrypted. 2.5G technology used GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) standard. It enhances data capacity of GSM and mitigates some of its limitations. GPRS adds packet switched capacity to existing GSM. It offers a data transfer rate of about 384kbps. The 3G technology was the successor of 2.5G. The 3G was implemented using the packet switched standard called UMTS or 3GSM. It provides broadband speed b/w 100 to 300kbps for high mobility communication and 1Mbps to 20Mbps for low mobility communication. It was used for multimedia communication through packet switched network and voice calling through circuit switched network. 4G represent the fourth generation of Mobile Broadband Internet. It is the superior version of 3G. At present, 3G network is required to meet a set of technical standards for speed and reliability and must offer peak data rates of 1Mbps and above. In comparison to 3G, 4G offers peak data rates of at least 100Mbps for high mobility communication ( i.e. users in cars, trains and airbus), and at least 1Gbps for low mobility communication (i.e. offices, homes etc). 4G networks come in different flavors and some are faster and more widely deployed than others. The most common deployments are LTE (Long Term Evaluation), WIMAX. But the most widely used is LTE. It is more embarrassing to know that the high definition (HD) movie which took almost half & hour to download in case of 3G, takes only about 3 minutes to download using 4G. It is also worth noting that each new generation of wireless broadband typically requires your cell phones provider to make upgrades on their towers and therefore requires you to upgrade your phone. With GSM all subscriber and wireless provider information is stored on SIM card whose memory capacity is usually 64kb. But in 4G, a new kind of SIM card is used which is called USIM (Universal Subscriber Identification Module), which stores universal subscriber information, authentication information and provides storage space for text messages and phone book contacts. Its memory capacity is about 128Kb. 4G provides high mobility with high speed data rates and supports high capacity IP- based services and applications. 4G does not support voice communication over circuit switched network. It is based on packet switching only. IPV6 is used to support wireless enabled devices. The 4G wireless systems provides support for interactive multimedia, voice, streaming video, internet and other broadband services, IP based mobile system, global access and service portability, better spectral efficiency and QOS (quality of service). As far as our Country scenario is concerned, 4G is not fully implemented yet. Although few private service providers like Airtel, Reliance, Videocon and Tata – Docomo have started this service on trial basis in few metro cities. But we do hope, in the coming years, when 4G shall be fully implemented, it would be very easy for the user to download high definition (HD) movies, songs, multimedia information and other internet based applications more rapidly and efficiently.
(The author is Sr Asstt Professor GCET- Jammu)
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