Deployment and Transition of Telecommunication Systems

In the modern cellular networks one can distinguish several key technologies that emerged one after another: first generation (1G) systems marked by analog methods of data exchange, second generation (2G) characterized by transition to digital radio, third generation (3G) networks that provided broadband connectivity in cellular communication, and finally fourth generation (4G) systems, that allow for 1 Gbit of peak download speeds and focus on data exchange. This chapter provides a generic overview of the first network deployments through the deployment of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), WCDMA, LTE, and transitions between these generations. It also gives a short insight into the factors that contributed to this transformation: spectrum aspects and end‐user terminals development. The chapter ends with an outlook on what the future network may look like.