1 - Genesis of wireless broadband technology (from 2G to 4.5G)

Summary

Genesis of wireless technology

The digital cellular technology revolution started with the introduction of GSM (Groupe Special Mobile) in the late 1980s. The GSM technology was based on time-division multiple access (TDMA) and was capable of supporting data services of up to 9.6 kbps. In the early 1990s, IS-95, a standard based on code-division multiple-access (CDMA) technology was introduced. This offered data rates of up to 14.4 kbps and improved spectral efficiencies over a GSM system. Subsequently, both these technologies evolved over time, with each phase offering higher peak rates and improved sector/edge spectral efficiencies. Both GSM and IS-95 CDMA evolved in different phases. In 1997, the Generalized Packet Radio System (GPRS) based on packet data instead of circuit data was standardized, followed by Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE). Also, at the end of 1998, the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) was started. This was responsible for defining a third-generation (3G) wideband CDMA (WCDMA) standard based on the evolved GSM core network. At the same time the GSM standardization work was moved from ETSI SMG2 to 3GPP, and was called GERAN. Similarly, in the United States the IS-95 standard evolved to cdma2000 under the umbrella of Third-Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2).