Abstract:
Today, mobile communications play a central role in the voice/data network arena.
With the deployment of mass scale 3G just around the corner, new directions are
already being researched. In this paper we present the evolution of mobile
communications through all its generations. From the initial speech vocation to an
IP-based data network, several steps were made. From the analog voice centric first
generation to the digital second generation, the goal was to enhance the voice
experience of a user, by improving the quality of the communication while using
more efficiently the installed capacity. At the same time the enhanced mobility
provided by seamless handover and the additional data communications capacity
(although very small) advanced and opened the doors to future developments. Some
of the developments were brought by generation 2.5 namely by GPRS, which
improved data communications by supporting IP in the GSM infrastructure. With
the third generation the goal changed from voice-centric to data-centric. Moreover
total mobility became an objective to pursuit. In this generation it is possible to
combine voice, multimedia applications and mobility in a never experienced
manner. However, the global mobility, while an important objective, was never
really reached. At the same time new applications demand more bandwidth and
lower costs. The newcomer fourth-generation tries to address this problem by
integrating all different wireless technologies. In spite of all the evolving
technologies the final success of new mobile generations will be dictated by the new
services and contents made available to users. These new applications must meet
user expectations, and give added value over existing offers.
