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Difference between 1G and 2G protocols
After the launch of the first generation mobile network in the early 1980s, the mobile wireless communication system has gone through numerous stages of evolution in the last several decades. Because there was such a high demand for new connections throughout the world, mobile communication standards progressed quickly to accommodate more users. In this brief article, let's have a look at the features offered by the early generation mobile standards.
1G Protocol
The first generation of wireless cellular technology is referred to as 1G. These are analog telecommunications standards that were launched in the 1980s and lasted until 2G digital telecommunications superseded them. The primary distinction between these two mobile cellular generations is that 1G networks used analog audio transmissions, whereas 2G networks used all digital audio transmissions.
Although both systems employ digital signaling to link the radio towers (which listen to the handsets) to the rest of the telephone system; in 2G, the speech is encoded to digital signals during a conversation, but in 1G, the voice is merely modulated to higher frequencies, generally 150 MHz and up.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) developed the first commercially automated cellular network (the 1G generation) in Japan in 1979, primarily in the Tokyo metropolitan region. The NTT network was expanded to serve the whole population of Japan in five years, making it the first countrywide 1G network. Because of the inherent benefits of digital technology over analog, 2G networks ultimately supplanted them worldwide.
Drawbacks of 1G Protocol
If we compare with today's standards, then 1G suffered from a lot of drawbacks. Due to its poor sound quality, it was difficult to interact with someone over a 1G network. The coverage was poor with a lot of background noise. There was no provision for encryption over a 1G network, so anyone with a radio scanner could intercept a call. There was no roaming facility either. There was also no roaming assistance. Because there was no encryption on a 1G channel, anyone with a radio scanner could listen in on a call.
2G Protocol
The Second-generation cellular network is abbreviated as 2G. Radiolinja (now part of Elisa Oyj) was the first company in Finland to commercialize 2G cellular networks using the GSM standard in 1991.
The most noticeable improvement in 2G was that it used digital signal for communication, whereas 1G protocol was using only analog signals which were inherently prone to noise and disturbances. The main channelization protocols used in 2G are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access).
With 2G, users had the first experience of using mobile phones for data services such as sending SMS. Although the 2G protocol supports data communication services, it cannot send or receive complex data such as video files.
2G networks introduced encrypted calls which meant it became difficult to intercept an ongoing call. There was a noticeable improvement in sound quality with reduced background noise. The download speeds also increased which enabled 2G networks to transfer data along with voice. 2G gave us the first experience of some basic smartphone features such as SMS (text messages) and MMS (multimedia messages). With the advent of 2G, cellphones became popular and a growing number of users started using cellphones in the 90s.
Advantages of 2G over 1G
The following were three major advantages of 2G networks over their predecessors −
Phone calls that are digitally encrypted, at least between the mobile phone and the cellular base station, but not necessarily throughout the network.
More users per frequency band thanks to more efficient utilization of the radio frequency spectrum.
Starting with SMS text messaging, mobile data services are available.
Various networks were able to deliver services such as text messages, image messages, and MMS (multimedia messaging service) thanks to 2G technology.
Major Differences between 1G and 2G
Following are the important differences between 1G and 2G.
| Key | 1G | 2G |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1G stands for First Generation. It brought wireless communication in US. | 2G stands for Second Generation. It brought voice and digital communication in US. |
| Switching | 1G uses circuit switching. | 2G uses both circuit switching as well as packet switching. |
| Internet | In 1G, internet is not supported. | In 2G, internet is supported. |
| Voice Signal Type | In 1G, voice signal type is analog signal. | In 2G, voice signal type is digital signal. |
| Data Services | In 1G, data services are not provided. | In 2G, data services are provided except videos. |
| Channelization protocol | Channelization protocol is FDMA. | Channelization protocols are CDMA and TDMA. |
| Drawbacks | Limited channel capacity, big phone size, poor voice quality, and short battery life. | Network ranges are limited, and data rates are sluggish. |
Conclusion
In this article, we compared and contrasted the features of 1G and 2G, which were the first two mobile telecommunication standards. Wireless technology has improved at a rapid pace in the last few decades to satisfy the rising demands and greater specifications. The telecommunications industry which is now progressing towards implementing 5G standards have become fast, feature-rich and extremely secure.
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