Mobile network technologies are constantly evolving to provide faster, more reliable, and more efficient wireless communication. But how can you compare different mobile network technologies and understand their advantages and disadvantages? In this article, we will explain some key concepts and criteria that can help you evaluate and compare mobile network technologies.
Mobile network technologies are the standards and protocols that enable wireless devices to connect to cellular networks and access various services, such as voice, data, and multimedia. Mobile network technologies are often categorized by generations, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, each with different features and specifications. However, within each generation, there may be multiple variants and sub-technologies that have different characteristics and performance.
Amidst the global transition of mobile networks to the faster 5G and the potential advent of 6G by the decade's end, the true differentiators lie within mobile applications. The optimal balance between synchronous and asynchronous interactions, a fluid user interface, harnessing edge computing, and implementing seamless, continuous upgrades serve as foundational technologies crucial for achieving business goals.
Comparing mobile network technologies for security: Encryption: 2G: Used A5/1; vulnerable. 3G: Adopted Kasumi block cipher; more secure. 4G: Uses AES; robust encryption. 5G: Continues with AES, adds features. Authentication: 2G: One-way; prone to "IMSI catchers." 3G: Mutual; safer. 4G & 5G: Enhanced mutual authentication. Integrity: 2G: Lacked protection; vulnerable. 3G & 4G: Added and improved protection. 5G: Further enhanced. Privacy: 2G: Weak against IMSI catching. 3G to 5G: Progressively better; 5G focuses on eavesdrop protection. Interface: 2G: Relied on SS7; vulnerable. 3G & 4G: Introduced and refined Diameter; vulnerabilities persist. 5G: Expected to bolster security.
Mobile network technologies encompass the protocols allowing wireless devices to link up with Cellular networks, providing services like voice, data, and multimedia. These technologies are organised into generations like 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, each with unique features. Variants and sub-technologies exist within these generations, differing in characteristics and performance.
Greetings LinkedIn! A comment & a question.. As some already know, large language model (LLM) tools/database building to be a credible source of info, inputs, ideas & statistics, etc, etc can be tricky. My question: are you guys simply crowdsourcing the information you're trying to build a LLM database from? ..and are you disclosing this to both contributors & those using it once it's built? I'd also be curious to know what kind of value these contributions will create for LinkedIn, and if you'd be willing to disclose your "financial motivation". Thx. Re: the question asked here.. Most of this question is germain to various Regulatory domains around the world.. Highly suggest you guys take a "top down approach" to collecting this info.
The bottom line is all about the customers' experience and how they perceive the mobile operator's services. While data services will have speed/throughput playing a greater role, voice will have Quality of Service industry best practice indicators targets as key differentiators. End user device models/type and the technologies that these devices support are more are more becoming a key determinant factor. Mobile operators are busy modernizing the network infrastructure and introducing new technologies but if devices do not follow the same trend, customers will benefit less from those investments in terms of experience.
One of the most basic ways to compare mobile network technologies is by the frequency bands they use to transmit and receive signals. Frequency bands are the ranges of electromagnetic waves that carry wireless information. Different frequency bands have different properties, such as coverage, capacity, and interference. Generally, lower frequency bands (such as 700 MHz) have wider coverage, better penetration, and lower data rates, while higher frequency bands (such as 2.6 GHz) have smaller coverage, poorer penetration, and higher data rates. Therefore, mobile network technologies that use lower frequency bands may be more suitable for rural areas, while those that use higher frequency bands may be more suitable for urban areas.
Our clients don’t typically care about frequency bands when comparing network technology options. They want to find DevicesNetworksApplications #IoTDNA that meet their use case needs. We see that these typically revolve around 1) optimizing the battery life (to reduce touch points), 2) flexible coverage choices (to get into hard to reach or areas that don’t have coverage - could be a basement in a populated area), 3) open ecosystem (to add new device types easily as new needs some up), 4) maintenance that allows two way communication (FUOTA and actuators), 5) carrier-grade services (no one wants an unplanned outage), and finally 6) flexible application libraries to make visualization and actionable insights. #Lorawan @Senet
How many companies have the network technology expertise to compare them based on frequency bands? Fair to say: a very limited number. When making a choice between network technologies, we need to help companies asses which network best suits the application, service or product they want to implement. And make sure they understand the limits the various technologies have, so they can asses which technology offers the 'best compromise' .. because there's very often, if not always, going to be a compromise.
One of the basic ways to compare them is by "ideal data throughput". However that's just a theoretical number, in real life the effective throughput experinced by users in the field depends on congestion, density of cell towers , envirovmental conditions, amount of "obstructing objects" and several other factors. It all depends on the context of comparison: if you want just to compare tech (in lab) you can do in a spreadsheet in 5 minutes. But for real life scenarios you need to poick-up a region, estimate the average number of subscribers connecting at the same time for each network, etc.
See my last post above.. We should all remember that solid transparency often becomes a good teaching tool! It also creates more cooperation and contributions too!
The normal person goes into a store. The sales team usually goes with the fastest speed rate regardless on questions like, “where do you live” “ where do you work” and what places do you go to”. ? The customer relies on the sales person to be responsible and have knowledge. Most that go into that store don’t even know what 5G is or LTE. If one is better suited for rural areas then why are we constantly pushing higher capacity even if it now be suited for the money. It’s all about the money.
Another way to compare mobile network technologies is by the modulation schemes they use to encode and decode information on the wireless signals. Modulation schemes are the methods of changing the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the carrier wave to represent binary data. Different modulation schemes have different levels of complexity, efficiency, and robustness. Generally, more complex modulation schemes (such as 256-QAM) can achieve higher data rates, but require more signal quality and processing power, while simpler modulation schemes (such as QPSK) can achieve lower data rates, but are more resilient to noise and interference. Therefore, mobile network technologies that use more complex modulation schemes may be more suitable for high-speed applications, while those that use simpler modulation schemes may be more suitable for low-speed applications.
Comparing Mobile Network Technologies via Modulation Schemes: Comparing mobile networks involves analyzing the modulation schemes they employ to encode and decode wireless signal data. Modulation schemes alter carrier wave attributes like amplitude, frequency, or phase to convey binary information. These schemes vary in complexity, efficiency, and robustness. Complex schemes like 256-QAM enable higher data rates but demand better signal quality and processing power. Simpler schemes like QPSK offer lower data rates but exhibit greater resistance to noise and interference. Hence, mobile network technologies using complex modulation suit high-speed applications, while those employing simpler modulation are apt for low-speed applications.
A third way to compare mobile network technologies is by the multiple access techniques they use to allow multiple users to share the same frequency band or channel. Multiple access techniques are the methods of dividing the available spectrum or resources among multiple users, such as time, frequency, code, or space. Different multiple access techniques have different advantages and disadvantages, such as efficiency, scalability, and compatibility. For example, TDMA (time division multiple access) assigns different time slots to different users, which is efficient but may cause delay and synchronization issues. FDMA (frequency division multiple access) assigns different frequency bands to different users, which is simple but may cause interference and waste spectrum. CDMA (code division multiple access) assigns different codes to different users, which is scalable but may cause complexity and power consumption. OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) assigns different subcarriers to different users, which is compatible but may cause overhead and latency. Therefore, mobile network technologies that use different multiple access techniques may have different trade-offs and performance.
Comparing Mobile Network Technologies by Multiple Access: Another method to compare mobile network technologies is through their utilization of multiple access techniques, allowing efficient sharing of frequency bands or channels among numerous users. These techniques involve dividing the available spectrum using time, frequency, code, or space. Each technique presents distinct pros and cons regarding efficiency, scalability, and compatibility. For instance, TDMA allocates time slots to users, ensuring efficiency but potentially introducing delays and synchronization challenges. FDMA assigns distinct frequency bands, promoting simplicity but risking interference and spectrum wastage.
A fourth way to compare mobile network technologies is by the network architectures they use to organize and manage the cellular networks. Network architectures are the structures and components of the cellular networks, such as base stations, core networks, and backhaul links. Different network architectures have different implications for the network capacity, reliability, and flexibility. For example, traditional network architectures are based on centralized and hierarchical models, where base stations are connected to core networks via backhaul links, and core networks handle most of the network functions and services. However, modern network architectures are based on decentralized and flat models, where base stations are connected to each other via fronthaul links, and some of the network functions and services are moved to the edge of the network. Therefore, mobile network technologies that use different network architectures may have different capabilities and challenges.
Comparing Mobile Networks by Architecture: Another method to compare mobile network technologies is by analyzing their network architectures. These architectures encompass structures like base stations, core networks, and backhaul links. Diverse architectures impact network capacity, reliability, and flexibility. Traditional models follow a centralized hierarchy, with base stations linked to core networks through backhaul, centralizing functions. Conversely, modern architectures adopt a decentralized, flat approach, interconnecting base stations via fronthaul and distributing functions to the network's edge. Thus, mobile network technologies employing varying architectures present distinct capabilities and challenges.
A fifth and final way to compare mobile network technologies is by the key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure and evaluate the quality and performance of the wireless communication. KPIs are the metrics and parameters that reflect the user experience and network efficiency, such as data rate, latency, throughput, reliability, and coverage. Different mobile network technologies may have different KPIs and targets, depending on their design goals and requirements. For example, 4G mobile network technologies aim to provide high data rates (up to 1 Gbps) and low latency (less than 10 ms) for broadband applications, while 5G mobile network technologies aim to provide higher data rates (up to 20 Gbps), lower latency (less than 1 ms), higher reliability (99.999%), and wider coverage (100%) for diverse applications, such as enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine-type communication, and ultra-reliable low-latency communication. Therefore, mobile network technologies that have different KPIs may have different strengths and weaknesses.
On the subject of KPIs, one must consider multiple use cases and variables to get a comprehensive view. These include - 1/ Look at KPIs by ToD to understand peak usage and data types. 2/ Focus on each leg of the end to end connection to understand choke points and reliability. Synthetic traffic over backhaul as well as at the edge. 3/ Traffic by QoS classification. Use cases are far more sophisticated now than even five years ago. How does the network handle the next Taylor Swift pre-sale when others are streaming Netflix ? Corrective action could involve tweaking traffic shaping rather than throwing more hardware at it.
Some common KPIs include: Peak speed: The maximum speed that the network can support. Average speed: The average speed that users experience on the network. Latency: The time it takes for data to travel from one point on the network to another. Throughput: The amount of data that can be transferred over the network in a given period of time. Reliability: The percentage of time that the network is available and functioning properly. Coverage: The geographic area that the network covers.
The user is not directly concerned about throughput, latency and speed; these are issues that concern the engineering staff. The user is concerned about whether they can they access their social media, can they stream their videos, music, films, how long to send/receive messages (SMS, WhatsApp, messenger), how fast their web pages take to download. While these are all related to network throughput, capacity and latency, they can be also impacted by network errors; these may be uncorrected in streaming protocols (UDP) but even when corrected (TCP) can result in performance degradation and delays. Often the best way to examine E2E network performance is to look at the IP streams at the user's device and see what packet losses are occurring.