Review of Wireless Technologies and Generations

Abstract

The concept of wireless communication i.e. exchange of any type of electronic content (audio, video, data, etc.) without the use of any physical medium like cables, wires etc, is not new. It started almost a century back with “radio and telegraphs” and has made rapid progress over the period of time. Looking at the present trend, it is obvious that the field of wireless communication will continue to move far ahead than one could imagine. To encourage adoption and advancement in technology, a standardization process was required. Different standards have evolved, over the period of time, to accommodate the new technologies as they emerged. The era during which technologies are popular and are used by businesses is generally termed as Generations. This chapter presents a brief history of wireless communication and different phases of technologies and standards involved in it. A discussion of the communication technology generations not only provides an understanding of the past history of these technologies, but also creates basis for understanding their future. This chapter provides brief introduction and description of all generations, starting from the first generation mobile communications to future generation mobile communications.