In the past few decades, mobile communication has witnessed exponential improvements and undergone revolutions. Mobile phones have transformed the way we connect, communicate, and interact with the world not only once but twice.

From the original brick-sized mobile phones and iconic flip phones to the modern, sleek smartphones with AI functionality, the journey of mobile phones and mobile networks has been extraordinary. 

In this article, we’ll be exploring the lesser-known history of mobile networks, comparing 1G vs 5G and the capability of 5G technology.

Mobile networks have become integral to society and almost every sector of daily life. Although 5G was only first deployed in 2018 (or 2019, depending on your country), now over 100 countries have launched commercial 5G services as of January 2024. 

History of Mobile Networks

Mobile networks have a rich history spanning back decades. The foundations for today’s modern mobile networks were laid out as early as the 1940s, with early car phone services. However, the 1980s is generally considered the first real milestone for the development of mobile networks in use today.

1G

1G was the first generation of mobile networks, launched and developed by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in 1979. It was initially released in Tokyo, and then by 1984, the mobile network was upgraded to cover all of Japan, making it the first country to have 1G service nationwide.

1G technology wouldn’t be introduced to the United States until 1983 by Ameritech. In the mid-1980s, Canada got coverage and received 1G technology. Compared to modern 5G and modern technology, cell phones back then were quite basic.

Phones utilising 1G technology back then were nicknamed “bricks” because of their size and shape. Users could use these brick-sized phones to make analogue voice calls, but they couldn’t access the internet and data services like we can now.

2G

2G was the second generation of mobile network technology, which was introduced in the early 1990s. It was a significant improvement over 1G, introducing digital voice communication, improved call quality, and allowing for basic data services like text messaging (SMS).

While 2G allowed for internet access, it was extremely limited in functionality. 2G marked the transition from analogue to digital communication in mobile networks. It was first launched commercially in 1991 by Radiolinja in Finland.

The handsets from the 2G era of devices were a massive improvement over the brick-like phones from the 1G era. 2G phones featured a smaller form factor and a less pronounced antenna, which disappeared as time went on.

The iconic “indestructible Nokia” was also part of the 2G generation, as well as the nostalgic flip phones.

3G

3G was the third generation of cellular network technology, marking a significant advancement over 2G. It featured massive improvements, particularly with data transfer speeds and mobile internet capabilities.

These improvements in mobile internet capabilities made it possible to browse the web and multimedia content, like YouTube. The first commercial launch of 3G was by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on October 1st, 2001.

The adoption of 3G technology didn’t explode until the launch of smartphones, with the first iPhone in 2007. The rise of smartphones led to widespread demand for mobile internet connectivity, which only 3G networks could provide.

3G also introduced the term “mobile broadband” because its data transfer speeds and capability made it a viable alternative for browsing the web.

4G

4G was the fourth generation of cellular network technology, improving 3G’s network capabilities and stability. When discussing 4G, it’s important to outline the differences between 4G and 4G LTE.

4G was first defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2008. To be considered a 4G network, providers had to hit certain speeds and technological specifications, but that wasn’t immediately achievable for mobile networks or mobile devices in some areas.

So, “4G LTE” was a term coined and was an interim step up from 3G, providing more bandwidth, but it didn’t quite hit the speeds that 4G promised. The history of 4G dates back to 2008; however, no mobile network or cellular carrier was able to achieve the 100 Mbps speed that 4G specified.

The first commercial release of 4G LTE was in Oslo, Norway, and Stockholm. However, the deployment of 4G wouldn’t be until later. 4G wireless quickly became the standard of mobile network technology, replacing 3G.

The 4G network led to a range of innovations and advancements in the smartphone world. It also enabled the widespread adoption of cloud computing, fixed wireless access, and real-time data exchange for the Internet of Things (IoT).

5G

5G is the fifth and current generation of wireless communication networks. Cellular phone companies started commercially deploying the use of 5G-compatible devices in 2019 as a successor to 4G technology.

All 5G-compatible wireless devices connect to the internet and telephone networks through radiowaves. 5G networks saw massive improvements over its predecessor, allowing for a higher bandwidth, better download speeds, and lower latency.

5G may have been released to the public in 2019, but it has a rich history dating back as far as the late 2000s. In 2008, NASA partnered with Geoff Brown and Machine-to-Machine Intelligence (M2M) Corp to develop fifth-generation wireless communication.

In the same year, a South Korean IT Research & Development program was also formed for 5G development. In the following years, many other groups and programs were formed around the world to research and work on 5G.

On April 3rd 2019, South Korea became the first company to deploy 5G technology. Soon after, the technology saw widespread adoption around the world, starting with the United States and the Philippines.

The first-ever 5G-compatible smartphone, manufactured by Samsung, was also released in South Korea. The first 5G smartphone was the Samsung Galaxy S20, released on March 6, 2020.

The Capabilities of 5G