We live in an era where it’s hard to imagine a life without our phones as most of us use mobile phones every day for a variety of things. As we know that while we must connect to the internet, the speed of your internet depends upon the mobile communications and signal strength where we have five different generations of mobile networks (1G,2G,3G,4G,5G, etc.) that provide us with cellular services.
Each generation is defined as a set of telephone network standards and smartphones connected to network technology generations have been the real game-changer for this industry-transforming our phones into devices such as a mini-computer as well as a phone. So, now let us see the difference between 2G, 3G and 4G along with Reliable 5g tester, 5G test equipment, 5g network tester tools and Reliable 4G Testing RF drive test software, Cellular LTE RF drive test tools & equipment in detail.
What is 2G or Second Generation?
2G network refers to the second generation of mobile networks, which is a wireless telephone technology launched in 1991 in Finland. The main motive of this generation was to provide a secure and reliable communication channel by providing call and text encryption along with small data services like SMS, picture messages, and MMS. 2G is also known as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), and the technology used in 2G is CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). The bandwidth used by the 2G network is 30 to 200kHz, and data speed is up to 64 kbps.
Advantages of 2G technology –
- As the signals are digital, they consume less battery power.
- Multimedia features like SMS and MMS
- Internet access and SIM introduced.
What is 3G or Third Generation?
3G technology refers to the third generation of wireless mobile networks as it offers greater flexibility and is more efficient than its predecessor 2G. The introduction of 3G networks in 1998 and set by the international telecommunication Union (ITU). 3G enables faster data transmission speeds, which means the standard of accessibility, and speed of mobile devices; you also could use your cell phone in more data-demanding ways such as for mobile internet access, video calling, digital photos, movies, mobile, computer modems, and so on. Moreover, it could support 5 major radio technologies that operate under CDMA, TDMA, and FDMA.
Advantages of 3G technology –
- 3G technology has more bandwidth, reliability, and high security.
- Customers can use the facilities like Video call and big MMS at the same time.
- Cheap call rate in worldwide.
- Good for data-intensive application.
- Anywhere access to the internet.
What is 4G or 4th Generation?
4G technology refers to the fourth generation of wireless technology that provides mobile ultra-broadband internet access and is 5 times faster than 3G. The fourth generation of networking was released in 2008 with the purpose to provide high speed, high quality, and high capacity to users while improving security and lowering the cost of voice, data services, multimedia, and internet over IP. It supports mobile web access, gaming services, HD mobile TV, video conferencing, 3D TV, cloud computing, and other features that demand high speeds.
Advantages of 4G technology –
- It has amazing speed and uninterrupted connectivity.
- High speed, high capacity, and increased bandwidth lead to a much faster data transfer speed.
- High-quality streaming video.
Difference Between 2G, 3G, 4G
- Technology standard for 2G is GSM, D-AMPS, IS-95; UMTS (WCDMA) and CDMA2000 for 3G; LTE (Long Term Evolution) for 4G.
- The frequency on 2G is 1.8GHz; on 3G, it is 1.6-2 GHz; and 2-8 GHz on 4G.
- Handoff is horizontal on 2G and 3G but on 4G, the handoff is both horizontal and vertical.
- The data rate on 2G is 14.4-64 kbps, 2 Mbps on 3G, and 200 Mbps to 1 Gbps for low mobility on 4G.
Conclusion
When it comes to wireless network communication technology (2G, 3G, 4G, and so on), network testing and monitoring are highly required to provide a stable network infrastructure on the end users’ side. RantCell is one of the great tools used to monitor, manage and test your network on 5G/4G/3G coverages. Using RantCell to identify QoE experience-related issues easily by testing the networks remotely. With RantCell app, you are not only able to measure the network performance through Android or iOS devices but also generate reports in near real-time.