Mobile broadbandis the marketing term forwirelessInternet accessviamobile (cell) networks.Access to the network can be made through aportable modem,wireless modem,or atablet/smartphone(possiblytethered) or other mobile device. The first wireless Internet access became available in 1991 as part of the second generation (2G) of mobile phone technology. Higher speeds became available in 2001 and 2006 as part of the third (3G) and fourth (4G) generations. In 2011, 90% of the world's population lived in areas with 2G coverage, while 45% lived in areas with 2G and 3G coverage.[1]Mobile broadband uses the spectrum of 225MHzto 3700MHz.[2]
Description
editMobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet access delivered throughcellulartowers to computers and other digital devices usingportable modems.Althoughbroadbandhas a technical meaning,wireless-carriermarketing uses the phrase "mobile broadband" as a synonym for mobileInternet access.Some mobile services allow more than one device to be connected to the Internet using a single cellular connection using a process calledtethering.[3]
Thebit ratesavailable with Mobile broadband devices support voice and video as well as other data access. Devices that provide mobile broadband tomobile computersinclude:
- PC cards,also known asPC data cards,andExpress cards
- Mini PCIandMini PCI Expresscards that are integrated into the laptop
- USBandmobile broadband modems,also known asconnect cards
- portable devices with built-in support for mobile broadband, such aslaptops,smartphones/tablets,PDAs,and othermobile Internet devices.
Internet access subscriptions are usually sold separately from mobile service subscriptions.
Generations
editRoughly every ten years, new mobile network technology and infrastructure involving a change in the fundamental nature of the service, non-backwards-compatible transmission technology, higher peak data rates, new frequency bands, and/or wider channel frequency bandwidth in Hertz, becomes available. These transitions are referred to as generations. The first mobile data services became available during the second generation (2G).[4][5][6]
| Speeds in kbit/s | down and up | |
|---|---|---|
| •GSM CSD | 9.6 | |
| •CDPD | up to 19.2 | |
| •GSM GPRS(2.5G) | 56–115 | |
| •GSM EDGE(2.75G) | up to 237 | |
| Speeds in Mbit/s | down | up |
|---|---|---|
| •UMTS W-CDMA | 0.4 | |
| •UMTS HSPA | 14.4 | 5.8 |
| •UMTS TDD | 16 | |
| •CDMA2000 1xRTT | 0.3 | 0.15 |
| •CDMA2000 EV-DO | 2.5–4.9 | 0.15–1.8 |
| •GSM EDGE-Evolution | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Speeds in Mbit/s | down | up | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • | HSPA+ | 21–672 | 5.8–168 |
| • | Mobile WiMAX(802.16) | 37–365 | 17–376 |
| • | LTE | 100–300 | 50–75 |
| • | LTE-Advanced: | ||
| • while moving at high speeds | 100 | ||
| • while stationary or moving at low speeds | up to 1000 | ||
| • | MBWA(802.20) | 80 | |
| Speeds in Mbit/s | down | up | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • | HSPA+ | 400–25000 | 200–3000 |
| • | Mobile WiMAX(802.16) | 300–700 | 186–400 |
| • | 5G | 400–3000 | 500–1500 |
The download (to the user) and upload (to the Internet) data rates given above are peak or maximum rates and end users will typically experience lower data rates.
WiMAXwas originally developed to deliver fixed wireless service with wireless mobility added in 2005. CDPD, CDMA2000 EV-DO, and MBWA are no longer being actively developed.
Coverage
edit
as a percentage of a country's population
In 2011, 90% of the world's population lived in areas with 2G coverage, while 45% lived in areas with 2G and 3G coverage,[1]and 5% lived in areas with 4G coverage. By 2017 more than 90% of the world's population is expected to have 2G coverage, 85% is expected to have 3G coverage, and 50% will have 4G coverage.[9]
A barrier to mobile broadband use is the coverage provided by the mobile service networks. This may mean no mobile network or that service is limited to older and slower mobile broadband technologies. Customers will not always be able to achieve the speeds advertised due to mobile data coverage limitations including distance to the cell tower. In addition, there are issues with connectivity, network capacity, application quality, and mobile network operators' overall inexperience with data traffic.[10]Peak speeds experienced by users are also often limited by the capabilities of their mobile phone or other mobile device.[9]
Subscriptions and usage
edit| Users | 2007 | 2010 | 2016 | 2019[12] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World population[13] | 6.6 billion | 6.9 billion | 7.3 billion | 7.75 billion |
| Fixed broadband | 5% | 8% | 11.9% | 14.5% |
| Developing world | 2% | 4% | 8.2% | 11.2% |
| Developed world | 18% | 24% | 30.1% | 33.6% |
| Mobile broadband | 4% | 11% | 49.4% | 83% |
| Developing world | 1% | 4% | 40.9% | 75.2% |
| Developed world | 19% | 43% | 90.3% | 121.7% |
| Subscription | Place | 2007 | 2010 | 2014 | 2019[15] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Africa | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Americas | 11% | 14% | 17% | 22% | |
| Arab States | 1% | 2% | 3% | 8.1% | |
| Asia and Pacific | 3% | 6% | 8% | 14.4% | |
| Commonwealth of Independent States |
2% | 8% | 14% | 19.8% | |
| Europe | 18% | 24% | 28% | 31.9% | |
| Mobile | Africa | 0.2% | 2% | 19% | 34% |
| Americas | 6% | 23% | 59% | 104.4% | |
| Arab States | 0.8% | 5% | 25% | 67.3% | |
| Asia and Pacific | 3% | 7% | 23% | 89% | |
| Commonwealth of Independent States |
0.2% | 22% | 49% | 85.4% | |
| Europe | 15% | 29% | 64% | 97.4% |
At the end of 2012 there were estimated to be 6.6 billion mobile network subscriptions worldwide (89% penetration), representing roughly 4.4 billion subscribers (many people have more than one subscription). Growth has been around 9% year-on-year.[16]Mobile phone subscriptions were expected to reach 9.3 billion in 2018.[9]
At the end of 2012 there were roughly 1.5 billion mobile broadband subscriptions, growing at a 50% year-on-year rate.[16]Mobile broadband subscriptions were expected to reach 6.5 billion in 2018.[9]
Mobile data traffic doubled between the end of 2011 (~620 Petabytes in Q4 2011) and the end of 2012 (~1280 Petabytes in Q4 2012).[16]This traffic growth is and will continue to be driven by large increases in the number of mobile subscriptions and by increases in the average data traffic per subscription due to increases in the number of smartphones being sold, the use of more demanding applications and in particular video, and the availability and deployment of newer 3G and 4G technologies capable of higher data rates. Total mobile broadband traffic was expected to increase by a factor of 12 to roughly 13,000 PetaBytes by 2018.[9]
On average, a mobile laptop generates approximately seven times more traffic than a smartphone (3 GB vs. 450 MB/month). This ratio was forecast to fall to 5 times (10 GB vs. 2 GB/month) by 2018. Traffic from mobile devices that tether (share the data access of one device with multiple devices) can be up to 20 times higher than that from non-tethering users and averages between 7 and 14 times higher.[9]
It has also been shown that there are large differences in subscriber and traffic patterns between different provider networks, regional markets, device and user types.[9]
Demand from emerging markets has fuelled growth in both mobile device and mobile broadband subscriptions and use. Lacking widespread fixed-line infrastructure, many emerging markets use mobile broadband technologies to deliver affordable high-speed internet access to the mass market.[17]
One common use case of mobile broadband is among the construction industry.[18]
Development
edit
In use and under active development
editGSM family
editIn 1995 telecommunication, mobile phone,integrated-circuit,and laptop computer manufacturers formed theGSM Associationto push for built-in support for mobile-broadband technology on notebook computers. The association established aservice markto identify devices that include Internet connectivity.[19]Established in early 1998, the globalThird Generation Partnership Project(3GPP) develops the evolving GSM family of standards, which includes GSM, EDGE, WCDMA/UMTS, HSPA, LTE and 5G NR.[20]In 2011 these standards were the most used method to deliver mobile broadband.[citation needed]With the development of the 4GLTEsignalling standard, download speeds could be increased to 300 Mbit/s per second within the next several years.[21]
IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX)
editThe IEEE working groupIEEE 802.16,produces standards adopted in products using theWiMAXtrademark. The original "Fixed WiMAX" standard was released in 2001 and "Mobile WiMAX" was added in 2005.[22]The WiMAX Forum is a non-profit organization formed to promote the adoption of WiMAX compatible products and services.[23]
In use, but moving to other protocols
editCDMA family
editEstablished in late 1998, the globalThird Generation Partnership Project 2(3GPP2) develops the evolving CDMA family of standards, which includes cdmaOne, CDMA2000, and CDMA2000 EV-DO. CDMA2000 EV-DO is no longer being developed.[24]
IEEE 802.20
editIn 2002, theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE) established a Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) working group.[25]They developed theIEEE 802.20standard in 2008, with amendments in 2010.[26]
Edholm's law
editEdholm's lawin 2004 noted that the bandwidths ofwirelesscellular networkshave been increasing at a faster pace compared to wiredtelecommunications networks.[27]This is due to advances inMOSFETwireless technology enabling the development and growth of digital wireless networks.[28]The wide adoption ofRF CMOS(radio frequencyCMOS),power MOSFETandLDMOS(lateral diffused MOS) devices led to the development and proliferation of digital wireless networks in the 1990s, with further advances in MOSFET technology leading to rapidly increasingnetwork bandwidthsince the 2000s.[29][30][31]
See also
edit
|
References
edit- ^ab"The World in 2011: ITC Facts and Figures",International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Geneva, 2011
- ^Spectrum DashboardArchived2019-12-22 at theWayback Machine,Federal Communications Commission official website
- ^Mustafa Ergen(2009).Mobile Broadband: including WiMAX and LTE.Springer Science+Business Media.doi:10.1007/978-0-387-68192-4.ISBN978-0-387-68189-4.
- ^"Overview on mobile broadband technologies",EBU (European Broadcasting Union) workshop on mobile broadband technologies, Qualcomm, 12 May 2011
- ^"Evolution of Mobile Wireless Communication Networks: 1G to 4G",Kumar, Liu, Sengupta, and Divya, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (December 2010),International Journal on Electronics & Communication Technology(IJECT), pp. 68-72,ISSN2230-7109
- ^"About 3GPP: The Generations of 3GPP Systems",3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), retrieved 27 February 2013
- ^"Qualcomm's simulated 5G tests shows how fast real-world speeds could actually be".2018-02-25.
- ^"Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012",Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE,International Telecommunication Union.Retrieved on 29 June 2013.
- ^abcdefgEricsson Mobility ReportArchived2012-12-02 at theWayback Machine,Ericsson, November 2012
- ^Mobile Broadband,Best Broadband Reports, December 2013
- ^"Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2019".Telecommunication Development Bureau,International Telecommunication Union(ITU).Retrieved2020-02-28.
- ^Estimate.
- ^"Total Midyear Population for the World: 1950-2050"".International Programs Center for Demographic and Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau. Archived fromthe originalon 2017-04-17.Retrieved2020-02-28.
- ^"Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2019".Telecommunication Development Bureau,International Telecommunication Union(ITU).Retrieved2020-02-28.
- ^Estimate
- ^abcEricsson Mobility Report: Interim Update,Ericsson, February 2013
- ^Wakchoi (2021-12-05)."Mobile Data, a Great Equaliser? The Cyber Bedouin".The Cyber Bedouin.Retrieved2022-01-11.
- ^"4G WiFi for Construction Sites | Bytes Digital".
- ^"Service mark: The global technology identifer".GSM Association. Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2011.RetrievedJuly 17,2011.
- ^"About 3GPP",3GPP website, retrieved 27 February 2013
- ^"What is the future of mobile broadband?".Vergelijk Mobiel Internet. Archived fromthe originalon 22 February 2013.Retrieved17 September2012.
- ^"IEEE Approves IEEE 802.16m - Advanced Mobile Broadband Wireless Standard".IEEE Standards Association. March 31, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon January 13, 2013.RetrievedJune 16,2011.
- ^"WiMAX Forum Overview".Archived fromthe originalon 28 July 2008.Retrieved1 August2008.
- ^"About 3GPP2"Archived2020-02-18 at theWayback Machine,3GPP2 website, retrieved 27 February 2013
- ^"IEEE 802.20 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA)".Working group web site.RetrievedJuly 16,2011.
- ^"IEEE 802.20 Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA)".Official standard.IEEE Standards Association.Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2013.RetrievedJuly 16,2011.
- ^Cherry, Steven (2004). "Edholm's law of bandwidth".IEEE Spectrum.41(7): 58–60.doi:10.1109/MSPEC.2004.1309810.S2CID27580722.
- ^Jindal, Renuka P. (2009)."From millibits to terabits per second and beyond - over 60 years of innovation".2009 2nd International Workshop on Electron Devices and Semiconductor Technology.pp. 1–6.doi:10.1109/EDST.2009.5166093.ISBN978-1-4244-3831-0.S2CID25112828.
- ^Baliga, B. Jayant(2005).Silicon RF Power MOSFETS.World Scientific.ISBN9789812561213.
- ^Asif, Saad (2018).5G Mobile Communications: Concepts and Technologies.CRC Press.pp. 128–134.ISBN9780429881343.
- ^O'Neill, A. (2008). "Asad Abidi Recognized for Work in RF-CMOS".IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Newsletter.13(1): 57–58.doi:10.1109/N-SSC.2008.4785694.ISSN1098-4232.
External links
edit
- GSM Association,official website for the worldwide trade group representing GSM operators
- 3GPP official website
- 3GPP2 official websiteArchived2004-01-23 at theWayback Machine