Information / Communication & Networks

Mobile Networks (1G to 4G)

Cellular radio networks make the telephone mobile: from the car phone through GSM (1991) to mobile broadband.

The cell principle emerged at Bell Labs in 1947; Martin Cooper demonstrated the first handheld call in 1973, and the first commercial networks launched in 1979 (Tokyo) and 1983 (US). From 1991 GSM brought digital encryption and SMS, UMTS (2001) mobile internet and LTE (from 2009) video. Every generation relied on better chips and information theory.