4G is a term that you may have been hearing a lot lately, especially if you’re interested in the development of mobile phones and mobile wireless technology. 4G is a technology that has been in the making for a few years now – it stands for the fourth generation of technology bringing internet connectivity to mobile devices. So where exactly does the history of 4G begin?
The four “generations” of mobile internet have been developing for many years, beginning in the late 1980s when the first mobile phones debuted in a wider market. These giant mobile phones, often referred to as “bricks”, were often even larger than standard landline phone receivers. These earliest models, both in the late 1980s and early 90s, ran on 1G technology. This term was only coined retrospectively, however, when new technologies became available.
It was during the 90s that phone companies really began to take off in their development of mobile phone technology, working to improve the current 1G standards. 2G was introduced as a digital mobile format, with more mobile signal towers being built around the world so more calls could be made. The digital side of things improved overall communication speeds, as well as allowing text messaging for the first time.
3G, first introduced in the 2000s, signalled a revolution in mobile device technology. Phones and other similar mobile devices could access websites, applications and virtual games to a much greater extent and at faster speeds than had been previously possible. Apple iPhone was the biggest and best marketing tool for 3G, and now the technology is pretty much standard with modern smartphones and mobile devices.
4G first rolled out in 2008, whilst regulations regarding which devices could actually be considered 4G were made just a year later. 4G is now the peak standard for mobile devices, but it is only recently that smartphones and the like have started to hit the shelves of retailers like www.dialaphone.co.uk claiming to utilise this technology.