As compared to fixed networks, in which user’s equipment is connected to the telecom network using some type of physical medium, mobile network infrastructure varies in the last mile connection to the user. In mobile networks, the communication is typically achieved via radio transmission techniques and technology. As the service is mostly based on a wireless technology, the user has a huge advantage of added and improved mobility in his local area and/or wider area. However, this extend of mobility depends greatly on the nature of the mobile network.

For long distance communication, a commonly employed strategy is to use wireless communication embedded or as a part of a fixed network in order to extend and enhance the communication services to the user. An added advantage of this technique is that the need to install cumbersome physical wires or bulky cables is eliminated. As assuring as it may sound, setting up a successful and effective mobile network infrastructure is no easy task as it involves overcoming a large number of problems which may arise due to signal degradation, noise and other factors. With the ever-growing trend towards smaller, sleeker and sophisticated equipments, the chief problem being faced by telecom engineers is the size of the radio equipment that the user is expected to carry around.

Analog Mobile Networks:

When mobile phone networks were first introduced in the late 1970s, they comprised of a system that was based on analog communication and an inferior quality of service. As analog networks did not support data transmission, the user had to buy modems in order to achieve some form of data transfer. Initially this was limited to send faxes and similar data types. Moreover the modems were expensive and the data transfer rate was quite slow. The initial mobile phones were often bulky and had poor battery life

Digital Mobile Networks:

During the 1980s, development of the second generation of communication technology began. These Second-generation (2G) mobile phone systems were based on digital means of communication and hence the quality of service generally improved. Many advances were made in all aspects of mobile phone technology. The handsets became considerably smaller, lighter weight and thus easier to carry. Furthermore the battery life also improved and mobile communication became more reliable.

]]> http://www.techuserguide.com/the-basics-of-mobile-network-infrastructure.html/feed 0 http://www.techuserguide.com/introduction-to-mobile-communication-a-brief-history.html#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://www.techuserguide.com/introduction-to-mobile-communication-a-brief-history.html#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:18:36 +0000 http://www.techuserguide.com/?p=165 The ever-changing world of mobile communication is often difficult to make sense of. Mobile technology has and is advancing at such an accelerating pace that the customer often tends to get confused.

In order to have a clear view of how mobile communication has advanced overtime, some information regarding the previous technologies and how they have evolved to meet the changing needs of the customer is necessary.

1941- The first microwave transmission was made

1946-First radio telephone connected to the public telephone network. This public mobile telephone service was introduced in twenty-five major American cities. Each system was based on a single high power transmitter, supported by a large tower in order to accommodate the communication in a distance of over 50 km. Even though the actual telephone grade speech occupies only 3 KHz of base band spectrum, the early FM push-to talk telephone systems of the late 1940’s utilized a bandwidth of 120 KHz in order to accommodate for the noise in the filters and the amplifiers.

1950-FCC doubles the number of mobile telephone channels per market, enabling the FM bandwidth requirements to be cut to 30 KHz.

1954- First transistor radio is introduced by Sony.

1958-Data is sent over normal telephone circuits.

1960-Electronic telephone exchange introduced by AT&T Bell Laboratories. Also in the 1960s automatic channel trunking was introduced and implemented under the label IMTS (Improved Mobile Telephone Service). During the same time, various telecommunication companies throughout the world developed the theory and techniques of cellular radiotelephony. This concept utilized the ingenious idea of breaking up a coverage zone into smaller cells. These cells would be able to reuse portions of the spectrum thus increasing the spectrum usage vastly.

1968- AT&T proposed the concept of cellular mobile system to the FCC. However, the technology was not available to implement the mobile telephony until the 1970s and thus the first cellular phones were introduced in 1979.

1979- The world’s first cellular system implemented by the Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Company (NTT) in Japan was introduced. This system used 600 FM channels with 25 KHz allocated for each one-way link in the 800 MHz band.

1983- FCC allocated 666 duplex channels, i.e. 40 MHz of spectrum in the 800 MHz band. Each channel had a one way bandwidth of 30 KHz for total spectrum occupancy of 60 KHz for each duplex channel. According to the FCC rules, each city or market was only allowed to have two cellular radio system providers which would insure some level of competition.

1991- The first US digital Cellular (USDC) system hardware was installed which allowed cellular operators to replace some single user analog channels with digital channels which had the ability to support three users within the same 30 KHz bandwidth.

1995- Personal Communication Service Licenses were auctioned to wireless providers and these have spawned new services that complement as well as compete with cellular and SMR (Specialized Mobile Radio service).

1999- First phase of IMT 2000 standards for 3G released.

2000- First cellular subscribers exceed 700 million.

Science has made an excellent progress in the field of communication. In today’s world, the imaginations are beyond limits and anything is possible. The science of communication has revolutionized this world and undoubtedly we are entered in the era of endless communication opportunities.

Since the invention of telephone there has been a lot of research on telecommunication that now we can communicate by using wireless devices called mobile phones. The communications we made with each other through mobiles are known as Mobile Communications.

Groupe Spécial Mobile had introduced a communication system which later on came to be known by the name Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM). GSM is the most popular system in today’s world. Statistics show that about 3 billion people all around the world use GSM phones. An association named GSM Association is promoting this standard and 80% of global mobile market is using it.

About 212 countries are using this communication system so that makes the portability very easy. You can take this mobile to any other country and your mobile phone would find the standard network. Mobile phone operators in different countries are offering roaming facility.

Roaming made it easy for your family, friends and business partners to communicate with you on local call rates. GSM was originally known as second generation (2G) mobile system that transmits data digitally.

Now consumers have liberty to switch their networks without switching their mobile phones. GSM is most widely used network system that makes it cheaper, accessible and easy to implement. GSM was pioneer in introducing alternative to voice call services. The service was called SMS (Short Message Service) where user could send text messages to others. With latest technology advancement now we can send multimedia messages over the network.

Data transmission is possible through different technologies. GPRS and EDGE are known to be the two most modern technologies being used for transmission of data over the mobile networks. The internet is the need of every individual and with these technologies you can check your emails, send and receive pictures and documents through attachments and also can create your own documents while on the go.

Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson are known to be the most popular companies who are developing GSM mobiles. Every company is unique in terms of design, style and features they are offering but one great thing is that all are using the same sophisticated technology which has made competition very hard.