Cellular 3G, 4G LTE, 5G

Abdullaahi Ahmed Muse

Departement of Computer Abdimalik Dahir Muse Abdirahim Omar Hussein Abdifitah Ali Hassan
Science Departement of Computer Departement of Computer Departement of Computer
Simad University Science Science Science
Mogadisho,Somalia Simad University Simad University Simad University
[email protected] Mogadisho,Somalia Mogadisho,Somalia Mogadisho,Somalia
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abdullahi Omar Hassan

Departement of Computer Science
Simad University
Mogadisho,Somalia
[email protected]

Abstract—The fifth generation wireless 5G development supportingvoice telephony into a medium for
initiative is based upon 4G, which at present is struggling supporting other services, such as the transmission of
to meet its performance goals. The comparison between video, images, text, anddata. Thus, similar to the
3G and 4G wireless communication systems in relation developments in wire line capacity in the 1990s, the
to its architecture, speed, frequency band, switching demand for new wireless capacitystarted growing at a
design basis and forward error correction is studied, and very rapid pace. Although there are, of course, still a
were discovered that their performances are still unable great many technical problems to besolved in wire line
to solve the unending problems of poor coverage, bad communications, demands for additional wire line
interconnectivity, poor quality of service and flexibility. capacity can be fulfilled largely with theaddition of
An ideal 5G model to accommodate the challenges and new private infrastructure, such as additional optical
shortfalls of 3G and 4G deployments is discussed as well fibre, routers, switches, and so on. There hasbeen
as the significant system improvements on the earlier considerable research effort in recent years aimed at
wireless technologies. The radio channel propagation
developing new wireless capacity through
characteristics for 4G and 5G systems is discussed.
thedeployment of greater intelligence in wireless
Major advantages of 5G network in providing myriads
networks. A key aspect of this movement has been
of services to end users personalization, terminal and
thedevelopment of novel signal transmission
network heterogeneity, intelligence networking and
techniques and advanced receiver signal processing
network convergence among other benefits are
highlighted.The significance of the study is evaluated for
methods thatallow for significant increases in wireless
a fast and effective connection and communication of capacity without attendant increases in bandwidth or
devices like mobile phones and computers, including the powerrequirements [1].The wireless network refers to
capability of supporting and allowing a highly flexible any type of network that is not connected by cables of
network connectivity. anykind. It is a method by which homes,
telecommunications networks and enterprise
Keywords— Access networks, wireless technologies, (business) installations avoidthe costly process of
cellular networks, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G introducing cables into buildings, or as a connection
between various equipmentlocations.Many years after
the advent of wireless technology, the problem and
I. INTRODUCTION
hindrances of effectivecommunication is still present.
Many people around the world are now using the
Wireless communications is one of the most active wireless communication andthis has led to the
areas of technology development of our time. congestion of network, low connectivity speed and
Thisdevelopment is being driven primarily by the low bandwidth. Without wirelessnetworks, internet
transformation of what has been largely a medium for browsing, the usage of cellular phones which are part
of everyday wireless networking thatallows easy II. ANALYSIS AND THE DIFFERENCE OF 2G,
personal communications is impossible. Wireless 3G, 4G AND 5G TECHNOLOGIES
networking is also applicable in inter-
continentalnetwork systems and the use of radio Mobile communication technology has developed into
satellites to communicate across the world. This
three major technical stages, which are known as
technology allows for analternative to installing
physical network mediums such as, coaxial and fiber- generations. These three generations refer to the 1G
optic cables, which are expensive.Wireless (first generation), 2G (second generation) and 3G
networking helps save the cost of installation of cable (third generation) symbols. After the successful launch
mediums, save time from physical installation,and of the third generation 3G, the 4G generation is
also creates mobility for devices connected to a focusing on the highest quality of services and
network [2]. additional MMS enhancements, including video
services, in order to adopt the next generation, the fifth
Mobile and wireless networks have made tremendous generation 5G, which is another stage of advanced
growth in the last fifteen years. Nowadays mobile communication standard.
manymobile phones are equipped with a WLAN
Zero Generation (0G - 0.5G): Cordless phones started
adapter. In the nearest future many mobile phones will
with the so-called 0G which refers to pre-mobile
haveWiMAX adapter, besides their 4G, 3G, WLAN,
mobile telephones, such as radio phones.
and Bluetooth adapters. Using IP for both 2.5G and 3G
PublicLand Mobile Networks (PLMN) on one side First Generation (1G): Refers to the non-cable
and WLAN on the other, raised research on their telecommunication technology, known as the
integration.Regarding the 4G, its focus is towards "cellphones", which is no longer present nowadays.
seamless integration of cellular networks such as GSM Standards developed in the 1980s replaced the 0G
and 3G.Multimode user terminals are seen in 4G, but technology with that 1G. The only service that was
different security mechanisms and different QoS offered at that time was only voice communication,
support indifferent wireless technologies remains a anyway, 1G has low capacity, low voice connection,
challenge [3]. However, integration among different and was considered unsafe since calls were made
wirelessnetworks (e.g. PLMN and WLAN) is through the towers of radios.
functioning in practice even today, with different
wireless networks from asingle terminal being used 2G Technology: Second Generation (2G - 2.75G):
exclusively; that is, there is no combining of different Generation 2G refers to the second generation of
wireless access technologiesfor a same session (e.g. noncable telephony technology which cannot transfer
FTP download). The proposed Open Wireless data such as email or software but does voice and other
Architecture (OWA) in 5G is targeted to provide open data basic aids such as time and data. Generation 2G
baseband processing modules with open interface of mobile telecommunications networks was
parameters to support different architectures existing as commercially realized in GSM standard in Finland by
well as future wireless communication standards. The Radio line in 1991. GSM service is used by over 2
OWA is targeted to MAC/PHY layers of future (5G) billion people in more than 212 countries and
mobile terminals [4] . This referenced work provides a territories. Wireless communication, including the 2G
ground for definition of a concept beyond 4G mobile network, needs to provide access to the network with
networks, as in the 5G mobile networks. In the proposed mobile devices, the need for wireless access to a
concept the mobile user is on the top of all. The 5G network is visible in the work environments, and for
terminals have software defined radios and modulation that purpose are creating new protocols for the purpose
scheme as well as new error-control schemes[5]. The of providing data privacy and user authentication for
development is seen towards the user terminals as a focus mobile systems. These protocols have a private key
of the 5G mobile networks. The terminals have access to and private crypto graphic algorithms.
different wireless technologies at the same time and the
terminal able to combine different flows from different
technologies[6]. Each network responsible for handling
user-mobility, while the terminal make the final choice 3G Technology: Third Generation (3G - 3.75G):
among different wireless/mobile access network Enables network operators to provide users with a
providers for a given service. wide range of advanced services while reaching
greater network capacity through improved spectrum
efficiency. Services include broadband non-wireline III. COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON 2G, 3G, 4G
telephony, video calling, and broadband wireless data. AND 5G TECHNOLOGIES
It reverses or replaces 2G and precedes 4G. 2.5G was
a temporary bridge between 2G and 3G. 3G is mainly Our analysis has shown that security policies and
used with mobile phones. 3G technology offers other technology decisions made 25 years ago still
security features and services. The purpose of the 3G
determine the security level of mobile networks
security architecture is to build an equivalent system
with flexible adaptation of future changes. There is
today. In other areas, such as Wi-Fi, the old
also a lot of confusion within the wireless network as technology security has disappeared and replaced
to what exactly makes 3G, due to increased use by with modern security technology. There is also a
some 4G industry players. A number of so-called 4G modern force where security technology is
technologies are in fact 3G technology developments. entering mobile networks, but for business and
political reasons it seems impossible to curb
4G Technology: Generic Terminology generally refers
oldfashioned technology. Finally, governments
to a fundamental change in the nature of service. The
4G technology refers to all "IP packet switch" and mobile network operators can deploy sensors
networks with super wide access (gigabit speeds) and in specific geographic areas to detect attacks.
"multi-carrier" transmissions. 4G generation priority
Comparison of the 2G and 3G-2G networks
is the best signal and less information and data lost
during the exchange. The ITU has pointed out that 4G
served as a revolutionary path where this newly-
requires additional enhancements to MMS, including formed technology provided voice clearing and a
video services, in order to approve the next generation. transfer speed of up to 64 Kbps. Then came the
ITU also requires interactive roaming between 2.5G technology with a slightly higher speed up
networks. 4G includes several standards under a to 144 Kbps. Compared to the 2G network speed,
common cover. 4G is the next generation after 3G. 3G network speeds provided the video object as
Currently, the security issue has been resolved using well as a much high.er speed where its speed
multiple layers of protocol encryption. There are reached up to 3Mbps, then it was enhanced with
shortages in power consumption and a great delay in 3.5G, with its speed reaching 14.4 Mbps [7].
transmission. In 4G there is a concept of interlayer
security where only one layer will be configured to Comparison of 3G and 4G networks - In ITU-
make data encryption. based or International Telecommunication
5G Technology: It includes all kinds of advanced Technology 3G technology allows operators to
features that make the 5G technology more powerful. provide a greater range of services to the users as
The 5G's overall vision is for PDAs, laptops and it becomes larger. Broadband wireless voice and
mobiles to use a union of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and wireless broadband information included within
cellular standard from 1G to 4G as per user needs the mobile environment. While the 4G
based on the type of application. Another aspect of 5G technology which was launched within the cable
networks is that special services such as site-based television industry in 2009, which make users
services are automatically activated at the moment explore new download speeds and capabilities.
they are needed. The main emphasis of 5G networks
The use of LTE broadband mobile technology is
is the collection of information that can be used to
make decisions. 5G offers services in engineering,
an opportunity for the corporation to expand its
documentation, electronic transactions etc. Searching horizons on 4G territory, enhancing its current 3G
for new technology is always the main motive of capabilities [8].
leading giants of mobile phones to pass their
Comparison of 4G and 5G networks -
competitors. The ultimate goal of 5G technology is to
design a truly wireless world that is free from previous Technology is further shifted to 4G and has to do
generation barriers. This requires networking and high with a higher luxury of videos and providing a
security. speed of up to 100 Mbps. While the technology
that is expected to come into play is 5G which
offers up to 1 Gbps speed. 5G is expected to make
 a significant difference where I will add services standards thereby supporting both the 2.4 GHZ
and benefits to the world built on 4G technology and 5GHZ frequency band [11].
[9]. This technology is expected to be more
However with all such features, Wi-Fi is known
advanced and accessible worldwide in wireless
to be less secure than wired connection. Because
technology, and we will be able to connect your
an intruder does not need a physical connection.
phone with laptop and have access in the Internet.
As a result Wi-Fi has adopted various encryption
This technology has a generous bandwidth where
technologies. The first encryption WEP proved
users have not had the opportunity to encounter
easy to break. Higher quality protocols like WPA
before and possesses all the advanced features
AND WPA2 were added later on. An optional
that it does as a powerful tool for a wireless
feature added in 2007 called WPS (Wi-Fi
device [10].
protected setup) was deployed but it also had a
serious flaw that allowed an attacker to recover
IV. Overview of wireless access group (Wi-Fi and
the password of router. The Wi-Fi alliance has
WIMAX)
updated its test plan and certification program to
ensure all newly certified devices resist attacks.
A. IEEE 802.11(Wi-Fi)
But security is still a major concern [12].
Wi-Fi is a term given to wireless fidelity and it is B. IEEE 802.16(WiMAX)
used generally as a synonym for WLAN. By this The IEEE 802.16 WiMAX which stands for
technology any device which is Wi-Fi enabled World Interoperability for Microwave Access has
can connect to a network resource like Internet designed to be a cost effective way to deliver
through an access point which is known as broadband access over a wide area. It is intended
hotspot. The coverage of each access point is to handle high quality voice, data and video
about 32 meters indoors and 95 meters outdoors. services while offering a high quality of service
(QOS). WiMAX is classified as the wireless
The protocol adopted in MAC (Medium Access
metropolitan area network (WMAN).
Control) layer of Wi-Fi is CSMA/CA (Carrier
Sense Multiple Access WiMAX as a MAN access scheme adopts many
advanced technologies to cope with both NLOS
/Collision Avoidance) which is suitable for burst
(None Line Of Sight) and OLOS (Obstruct Line
type services such as packet service and it can
Of Sight) transmission condition WiMAX can be
enable short response time and large data rate.
the connection point for hot spots in WLAN and
There are three well known 802,11wireless Internet and can also be the expanded wireless
family standards widely used today. The access method for enterprise T1, xDSL and Cable
characteristics of 802.11 family are summarized Modem[13].
and presented in table 1.
The IEEE 802.16 consists of two versions.
Table II: IEEE 802.16 series Applications of the first one (802.16d) which is
Series No. Maximum Coverage Frequency Modulation known as fixed WiMAX include wireless E1
data rate enterprise backhaul and residential (last mile)
802.11 2Mbps 100m 2,4GHZ FHSS
802.11b 11Mbps 100m 2,4GHZ DSSS broadband access, while applications of the
802.11g 54Mbps 150m 2,4GHZ OFDM second one (802,16e) which is known as mobile
802.11a 54Mbps 80m 5GHZ OFDM
WiMAX include nomadic and mobile consumer
wireless DSL service. Other applications include
The major disadvantage of 802.11a is that it has connecting Wi-Fi hot spots with each other and to
different frequency bandwidth from 802.11b and other parts of Internet network, providing a
802.11g. There are some wireless card and access wireless alternative to cable and DSL for last mile
points which are compatible to all the three broadband access.
The standard specifies optional multiple antenna
techniques. This include space time
coding(STC), beam forming using adaptive V. TECHNOLOGIES’ COMPARISON
antennas schemes and multiple input multiple
output (MIMO) techniques which achieve higher A. Wi-Fi vs. WiMAX
data rate. The OFDM modulation and We can compare Wi-Fi and WiMAX whose have
demodulation is usually implemented by common components in their operations with a
performing FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) and major difference in four aspects: range, speed,
inverse FFT on data signal. cost and market.
The MAC layer used by WiMAX is based on a From the first point of view (range): the range of
time division multiple access (TDMA) Wi-Fi over antenna is 32 meters for indoor
mechanism to allow a homogeneous distribution networks and 95 meters for outdoor networks
of the bandwidth between all the devices which is while WiMAX is capable of covering an area
more effective and support several channels range of up to 10 miles.
compared to the mechanism used by Wi-Fi
(CSMA/CA). This makes it possible to obtain a From the second point of view (speed): WiMAX
better optimization of the radio spectrum with is capable of transferring data at speed up to
better efficiency [14]. 75Mbps, as opposed to Wi-Fi which is capable of
transferring data at speed up to 1.5Mbps.
The usual functions of this standard are
randomization, forward error correction (FEC) From the third point of view (cost): Wi-Fi is
interleaving and mapping to QPSK and QAM considered to be the end users technology while
symbols. However, WiMAX solves the problem the expense of WiMAX has limited its use and if
of last mile access. The characteristics of 802.16 try to compare the cost and effectiveness of both
series are summarized and presented in table2. wireless technologies, we shall end up rating
WiMAX is high. Wi-Fi is the need and demand
Table II: IEEE 802.16 series of hotspots and it is hard for the WiMAX to
substitute it. Also the expense of WiMAX
Primary application Broad band wireless access
technology doubles when it is hard to find the
Frequency band Licensed/unlicensed 2G to
11GHz equipment and machinery compatible to work
Channel bandwidth Adjustable 1.25 M to 20 MHz with WiMAX technology.
Half/Full duplex Full
From the last point of view (market): the most
Radio technology OFDM (256 channels)
fundamental difference between WiMAX and
Bandwidth efficiency 5bps/Hz
Wi-Fi is that they are designed for different
Modulation BPSK , QPSK (16,64,256- applications. Wi-Fi is a local network technology
QAM)
designed to add mobility to private wired LANS,
FEC Convolution code Reed-
Solomon while WiMAX was designed to deliver a metro
Encryption Mandatory -3DES optional-AES area broadband wireless access (BWA). If we do
Access protocol: Request /Grant
-Best effort Yes a market survey for wireless technologies, we
-Data s Yes would find that most of the mobile equipment like
-Consistent delay Yes
smart phones, laptops and palm tops mostly are
Mobility Mobile WiMAX(802.16e)
Mesh Yes
loaded with Wi-Fi components. Hence this is the
reason why nowadays PDAs and other digital
devices must possess the Wi-Fi components [15].
It is obvious that the WiMAX standard goal is not
to replace Wi-Fi in its applications but rather to
 supplement it in order to form a wireless network from 2G to the emerging 5G. It highlights the key
web. Therefore WiMAX and Wi-Fi will support advancements and limitations across generations,
each other and both of them will be synergized to such as increased speeds, bandwidth, and service
serve many more subscribers. capabilities, as well as persistent challenges like
poor coverage and connectivity issues.
B. WiMAX vs. 3G
The main goal from both technologies are to give The analysis discusses how 5G aims to address
mobile data transmission, voice communication these limitations through features like higher data
and video services. However the technologies of rates, lower latency, and support for massive
both WiMAX and 3G are somewhat different, but device connectivity. The report emphasizes the
both of them share the same methodology for critical role that continued innovation in wireless
downlinks, use air interface and support MIMO technologies will play in meeting growing
(Multiple Input Multiple Output) techniques. demands for faster, more reliable, and versatile
Both of them use the downlink from the cell mobile communication services.
tower to the end user which is enhanced with
OFDM that allows video and multimedia ACKNOWLEDGMENT
transmission. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support
and resources provided by the Department of
The differences between WiMAX and 3G are: Computer Science at Simad University in
Mogadishu, Somalia. The authors also thank the
 Interworking which is an important part of a
teacher who offered guidance during this
WiMAX network and because of that, it is
research, as well as the anonymous reviewers
possible with a WiMAX network to
whose feedback helped improve the report.
accommodate a range of new devices and
Finally, the authors recognize the pioneering
services which work on different
work of researchers in mobile communications
technologies. 3G specifications are an
whose innovations enabled the evolution from
important design consideration for
early voice-focused networks to modern data-
applications in WiMAX networks.
driven 4G and 5G technologies.
 Supporting WiMAX from the multiple level
of QOS (Quality of Service) and the flexible
channel bandwidth to be used by service REFERENCE
providence for the low latency and the
differentiated high bandwidth entertainment
application. [1]G. Abdullah, L. Xichun, Lina Yang, Omar
Zakaria, and NorBadrulAnuar, Multi-Bandwidth
However, for mobile multimedia WiMAX and Data Path Design for 5GWireless Mobile Internets,
3G can be used to complement each other, it 6(2), ISSN: 1790-0832. 2009
means 3G offers coverage over large areas and
[2]F.G. Bria, 4th Generation Wireless
unlimited roaming whist WiMAX offers high
Infrastructures: Scenarios and Research Challenges,
speed data rates offering mobile broadband in IEEE Personal Communications, 8(1), 2010
hotspot areas.[16]
[3]G. Abdullah, L. Xichun, Lina Yang, Omar
Zakaria, and NorBadrulAnuar, Multi-Bandwidth
Data Path Design for 5GWireless Mobile Internets,
6(2), ISSN: 1790-0832. 2009
VI. CONCLUSION
This report presents a comprehensive overview of [4]W. W. Lu, An Open Baseband Processing
Architecture for Future Mobile Terminals Design,
the evolution of cellular network technologies, IEEE Wireless Communications,2008
 International Journal of Computer Science &
Technology, India(2011)
[5]H. Honkasalo, WCDMA and WLAN for 3G and
Beyond,IEEE Wireless Communications, 9(2), [15]Mohammad Arifin Rahman Khan, Md. Sadiq
2002, 14 – 18. Iqbal, Emerging Technologies: LTE vs. WiMAX”,
International Journal of Computer Science and
[6]M. Zeng, A. Annamalai, V.K. Bhargava,Recent Business Informatics, ISSN 1694-2108 (2014)
Advances in Cellular Wireless
Communications,IEEE Communications [16]Amitabh Kumar, Mobile Broadcasting with
Magazine, 37(9), 1999, 128-138. WiMAX- Principles technology and Applications”,
ISBN 9780240810409 (2008)
[7]Engineers Garage. (n.d.). Retrieved September
15, 2018, from
https://www.engineersgarage.com/contribution/diff
erence-between-2Gand-3G-technology

[8]Akhilesh Kumar, P., & Ompal, S., “5G

Technology–Redefining wireless Communication
in upcoming years”, International Journal of
Computer Science and Management Research Vol
1 Issue 1 Aug 2012.

[9]Singhrova, A., & Mahajan, R. (2006).

Performance Analysis of 3 G Protocol: Encryption
and Authentication. International Journal of
Security, Volume (1): Issue (1)

[10]Jøsang, A. M. (July 1, 2015). It’s not a bug, it’s

a feature: 25 years of mobile network insecurity:
ACPIL. Proceedings of the 14th European
Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security
(ECCWS-2015). Hatfield, UK.

[11]Rensburg, J.J, Investigation of the deployment

of 802.11 Wireless Networks”, M.Sc Thesis.
University of Rhodes: Ghramstown , South Africa
(2006)

[12]Sourangsu banerji, rahul singha Chowdhury,

Wi-Fi and WiMAX: A Comparative Study”, RCC
institute of information technology, India (2013)

[13]Liangshan Ma, Dongyan Jia, The competition

and cooperation of WiMax, WLAN and 3G”,
Beijing Consulting and Design Institute of P&T,
P.R, China( 2005 )

[14]Gurjeet Singh, Dr. Jatinder Singh, comparative

Analysis of broadband Wireless Technologies”,