09-03-2011, 09:18 AM
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1. INTRODUCTION
4G (short for 4th Generation Communication Systems) represents the future of mobile communications in the longer term.
Currently we are using and experiencing mainly 2G (2nd Generation) technology. To be accurate, we are at a stage when 2G is giving way to the succeeding generations – 2.5G (enhancements on 2G) and 3G (3rd Generation) technologies. While 2.5G has been available for the past couple of years 3G is only just beginning to be rolled out in many countries. It was deployed on a worldwide scale by early this year.
With each generation a gradual evolution and improvement of technology has occurred. The standardization process has also become more streamlined with each generation.
2. WHY 4G?
This raises the question, if 3G is not quite established yet, why are we talking about 4G? The answer is that if research and planning into 4G is not carried out now, it will not be possible to keep up with consumer demand. While 3G will attempt to satisfy demand in the current and short-term future, the market will outgrow 3G in a matter of years. The importance of planning ahead to 4G is also highlighted by the fact that 3G systems are not cross compatible or unified on a worldwide scale and may not live up to all the hype.
With mobile communications, the evolutionary pattern seems to follow 1-decade cycles. In the 80’s it was 1G, in the 90’s 2G and now in the new century 3G systems are being introduced. Thus it seems logical that 4G will be introduced around the 2010 mark.
In the US, in the period between 1994 and 2001 mobile phone subscriber ship increased from 16 million to 110 million. Such trends have been witnessed in most developed and various developing nations. In Japan, the ‘I mode’ mobile Internet service already had approximately 17 million subscribers by the end of 2000.
The statistics and trends indicate that while the number if subscribers to mobile services increase steadily, the requirements of a mobile communication system will also change. In the past the mobile phone has been used mainly for voice application and person-to-person contract. In the future the demand will shift towards data and multimedia services rather than voice. According to estimates, in 2005, of the 1.6 billion Internet users worldwide, 1 billion will be mobile Internet users, and by 2015 mobile traffic is expected to grow to 23-fold that of today, with 90% being multimedia.
3. WHAT IS 4G?
4G is an attempt to evolve, integrate and amalgamate the current 2G (2nd Generation), the soon to be released 3G (3rd Generation), broadcast, WLAN (wireless Local Area Network), short-range and fixed wire systems into a single, fully functional, seamless Internet work.
4G is NOT a complete overhaul of all old technology. It involves a mix of current concepts and technologies in the making. Some of these are derived from 3G and hence are evolutionary, while others are totally new concepts and can be thought of as revolutionary.
4G will features a scalable, flexible, efficient, autonomous, secure and feature-rich backbone to support a multitude of existing and new services and to interface with many different types of networks. It will offer fully converged services (voice, data, and multimedia) at data rates of up to 100 Mbps and ubiquitous mobile access to a vast array of user devices autonomous networks
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF 4G:
Fully Converged Services:
A wide range of services will be available to the mobile user conveniently and securely via the 4G Core Network. Personal Communications, information systems and entertainment will seem to be merged into a seamless pool of content.
Ubiquitous Mobile Access:
4G aims to provide access to multimedia services anytime anywhere. Devices will not simply rely on cellular reception. Improved radio access technology as well as integration of all types of communication networks allows fir virtually constant connectivity to the 4G-core backbone. Mobile handsets will be intelligent and software-reconfigurable on the fly to allow them to interface with different types of networks on the move. Also, there will be full cross compatibility on a worldwide scale since each type of networks has a gateway to the IP backbone.
Software Dependency:
Advanced software systems are employed for all purposes-network operation, service provision, interfacing and integration, etc. Not only the Core Network but also the mobile devices will be highly intelligent as well as reconfigurable via software.
Diverse User Devices:
A defining feature of 4G will be the proliferation of a vast array of devices that are capable of accessing the 4G backbones. Wireless capabilities will be embedded into devices that we wouldn’t even consider today. Not only personal devices that we wouldn’t even consider today. Not only personal devices like phones, PDAs, laptops, etc. but also sensors, embedded controllers and other specialized equipment. The point behind this is to allow them to autonomously communicate with each other. By building in sophisticated software, they will be able to automatically initiate timely actions. 2G enabled mobile person-to-person communications while 3G is opening the door to person-to-machine communication with mobile Internet. 4G introduces another dimension with machine-to-machine communication.
Autonomous Networks:
While user devices are highly intelligent, the core network will also be very sophisticated. It will be capable of managing itself and dynamically adapting to changing network conditions and user preferences for seamless communication. Apart from evolved mobility management, connection control, hand-over mechanisms, etc. dynamic bandwidth allocation will make far more efficient use of the available radio spectrum.
4G Services:
4G data rates will between a few Mbps and 100 Mbps, hence the level oif services that can be offered is quite tremendous. Apart from 3G services like World Wide Web, Email, and wireless E-commerce this data rate is quite adequate to support the high Qos become on-demand infotainment services. Video-conferencing services will be of high quality and almost as good as meeting in person. Ad Hoc networking (dynamic formation of wireless networks between wireless devices without any central infrastructure or administration) will allow for Personal Area Networks, in-house networks and the like, which allow wireless devices to perform various activities autonomously. Alarm notification, sensor data acquisition and remote control of home appliances are some of the possibilities. It is more than likely that mobile services that have not even been envisaged will exist in 4G.
1. INTRODUCTION
4G (short for 4th Generation Communication Systems) represents the future of mobile communications in the longer term.
Currently we are using and experiencing mainly 2G (2nd Generation) technology. To be accurate, we are at a stage when 2G is giving way to the succeeding generations – 2.5G (enhancements on 2G) and 3G (3rd Generation) technologies. While 2.5G has been available for the past couple of years 3G is only just beginning to be rolled out in many countries. It was deployed on a worldwide scale by early this year.
With each generation a gradual evolution and improvement of technology has occurred. The standardization process has also become more streamlined with each generation.
2. WHY 4G?
This raises the question, if 3G is not quite established yet, why are we talking about 4G? The answer is that if research and planning into 4G is not carried out now, it will not be possible to keep up with consumer demand. While 3G will attempt to satisfy demand in the current and short-term future, the market will outgrow 3G in a matter of years. The importance of planning ahead to 4G is also highlighted by the fact that 3G systems are not cross compatible or unified on a worldwide scale and may not live up to all the hype.
With mobile communications, the evolutionary pattern seems to follow 1-decade cycles. In the 80’s it was 1G, in the 90’s 2G and now in the new century 3G systems are being introduced. Thus it seems logical that 4G will be introduced around the 2010 mark.
In the US, in the period between 1994 and 2001 mobile phone subscriber ship increased from 16 million to 110 million. Such trends have been witnessed in most developed and various developing nations. In Japan, the ‘I mode’ mobile Internet service already had approximately 17 million subscribers by the end of 2000.
The statistics and trends indicate that while the number if subscribers to mobile services increase steadily, the requirements of a mobile communication system will also change. In the past the mobile phone has been used mainly for voice application and person-to-person contract. In the future the demand will shift towards data and multimedia services rather than voice. According to estimates, in 2005, of the 1.6 billion Internet users worldwide, 1 billion will be mobile Internet users, and by 2015 mobile traffic is expected to grow to 23-fold that of today, with 90% being multimedia.
3. WHAT IS 4G?
4G is an attempt to evolve, integrate and amalgamate the current 2G (2nd Generation), the soon to be released 3G (3rd Generation), broadcast, WLAN (wireless Local Area Network), short-range and fixed wire systems into a single, fully functional, seamless Internet work.
4G is NOT a complete overhaul of all old technology. It involves a mix of current concepts and technologies in the making. Some of these are derived from 3G and hence are evolutionary, while others are totally new concepts and can be thought of as revolutionary.
4G will features a scalable, flexible, efficient, autonomous, secure and feature-rich backbone to support a multitude of existing and new services and to interface with many different types of networks. It will offer fully converged services (voice, data, and multimedia) at data rates of up to 100 Mbps and ubiquitous mobile access to a vast array of user devices autonomous networks
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF 4G:
Fully Converged Services:
A wide range of services will be available to the mobile user conveniently and securely via the 4G Core Network. Personal Communications, information systems and entertainment will seem to be merged into a seamless pool of content.
Ubiquitous Mobile Access:
4G aims to provide access to multimedia services anytime anywhere. Devices will not simply rely on cellular reception. Improved radio access technology as well as integration of all types of communication networks allows fir virtually constant connectivity to the 4G-core backbone. Mobile handsets will be intelligent and software-reconfigurable on the fly to allow them to interface with different types of networks on the move. Also, there will be full cross compatibility on a worldwide scale since each type of networks has a gateway to the IP backbone.
Software Dependency:
Advanced software systems are employed for all purposes-network operation, service provision, interfacing and integration, etc. Not only the Core Network but also the mobile devices will be highly intelligent as well as reconfigurable via software.
Diverse User Devices:
A defining feature of 4G will be the proliferation of a vast array of devices that are capable of accessing the 4G backbones. Wireless capabilities will be embedded into devices that we wouldn’t even consider today. Not only personal devices that we wouldn’t even consider today. Not only personal devices like phones, PDAs, laptops, etc. but also sensors, embedded controllers and other specialized equipment. The point behind this is to allow them to autonomously communicate with each other. By building in sophisticated software, they will be able to automatically initiate timely actions. 2G enabled mobile person-to-person communications while 3G is opening the door to person-to-machine communication with mobile Internet. 4G introduces another dimension with machine-to-machine communication.
Autonomous Networks:
While user devices are highly intelligent, the core network will also be very sophisticated. It will be capable of managing itself and dynamically adapting to changing network conditions and user preferences for seamless communication. Apart from evolved mobility management, connection control, hand-over mechanisms, etc. dynamic bandwidth allocation will make far more efficient use of the available radio spectrum.
4G Services:
4G data rates will between a few Mbps and 100 Mbps, hence the level oif services that can be offered is quite tremendous. Apart from 3G services like World Wide Web, Email, and wireless E-commerce this data rate is quite adequate to support the high Qos become on-demand infotainment services. Video-conferencing services will be of high quality and almost as good as meeting in person. Ad Hoc networking (dynamic formation of wireless networks between wireless devices without any central infrastructure or administration) will allow for Personal Area Networks, in-house networks and the like, which allow wireless devices to perform various activities autonomously. Alarm notification, sensor data acquisition and remote control of home appliances are some of the possibilities. It is more than likely that mobile services that have not even been envisaged will exist in 4G.
