The Future of Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context

Giovani Carlos Jerónimo Paca.

Ronaldo Ellian Moiças Joaquim.

Resume: This work talks about the evolution of mobile cellular generations, highlighting the technological
transitions from 1G to 5G and the emerging adoption of 6G. The advantages and disadvantages of each
generation are discussed, including aspects such as spectrum efficiency, speed, latency, and associated
costs. Furthermore, the role of satellites, such as AngoSat-1, in the future development of
telecommunications in Angola is analyzed, focusing on expanding mobile network coverage and
improving communication resilience.

Keywords: Cellular Generations, Mobile Network, 1G to 5G, AngoSat-1.

Introduction

Addresses the importance of mobile telecommunications and how technological

developments have impacted society. It also introduces the relevance of the study in the 1
Angolan context, with an emphasis on the challenges and opportunities that shape the
implementation of advanced mobile technologies in the country.

Cellular mobile generations represent the evolution of technologies and standards used in
mobile telephone networks over time. Each generation is marked by a significant
improvement in speed, capacity and functionality.

____________________________
Telecomunicações /Docente Dorivaldo Silva de Engenharia Informática, Pelo ISPAJ - Instituto Superior
Politécnico Alvorecer da Juventude, Departamento de Ciências Exatas. Pesquisa sobre (The Future of
Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context). powerdorivaldo@gmail.com
Development

1G (First Generation)
Year of Implementation: 1980.
Technology: Analog.
Standards: AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone),
TACS (Total Access Communications System)
Technical Characteristics: Fully analogue; just voice.
Practical Applications: Voice calls.
Advantages: First technology to allow mobile communication.
Disadvantages: Low voice quality, no encryption, susceptible to interference and
eavesdropping, limited capacity.
Transition: The need for greater security and better quality of service drove the transition
to digital systems.

2G (Second Generation)
Year of Implementation: 1990. 2
Technology: Digital (GSM, CDMA)
Standards: GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code Division
Multiple Access), D-AMPS (IS-136)
Technical Features: Introduction of voice and basic data digitization (GPRS, EDGE).
Practical Applications: SMS, MMS, basic emails, initial web browsing.
Advantages: Greater privacy and security, introduction of data services.
Disadvantages: Data speed still limited, quality of service variable.
Transition: Increased demand for data led to the development of 3G, focused on
multimedia capabilities and improved internet access.

2.5G (Intermediate Generation)

Year of Implementation: between the late 90s and early 2000s.
Standards: GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM
Evolution)
Technical Features:

____________________________
Telecomunicações /Docente Dorivaldo Silva de Engenharia Informática, Pelo ISPAJ - Instituto Superior
Politécnico Alvorecer da Juventude, Departamento de Ciências Exatas. Pesquisa sobre (The Future of
Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context). powerdorivaldo@gmail.com
  GPRS: Introduced as part of GSM, it uses a packet switching method to enable
data transmission, offering speeds of up to 40-50 Kbps.
 EDGE: An improvement over GPRS, also based on GSM technology, offers data
rates theoretically up to three times faster, reaching approximately 120-200 Kbps.
 Practical Applications: Significant improvement in web browsing on mobile
devices, faster and more efficient emails, better capabilities for multimedia
services such as audio streaming.
Benefits:
GPRS: Allowed users to remain online continuously without needing a dedicated
connection, paying only for transmitted data, not for connection time.
EDGE: Offered a considerable improvement in data transmission speeds, enabling a
richer mobile Internet experience than GPRS.
Disadvantages:
GPRS: Still relatively slow for modern data services, with high latency.
EDGE: While it improved speed, it was still insufficient for more demanding applications
like high-quality video and online gaming.
Transition: Although they improved the data usage experience on GSM networks, GPRS
and EDGE were intermediate steps before the more widespread implementation of 3G
technologies, which offered substantially higher data speeds and better support for voice
and video services.
The introduction of 2.5G was instrumental in facilitating the growth of mobile internet
3
usage and paved the way for 3G technologies, which enabled a completely new era of
mobile applications and services.

3G (Third Generation)
Year of Implementation: 2000.
Standards: UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), CDMA2000
Technical Features: Supports higher data rates (up to several Mbps), better voice quality,
video calls.
Practical Applications: Faster web browsing, location services, video calls.
Advantages: Improved connectivity and data speeds for a variety of multimedia
applications.
Disadvantages: Higher energy consumption, need for more complex antennas,
infrastructure costs.
Transition: The need for even more speed and capacity drove the development of 4G,
which promises high-speed internet connections and support for an even greater number
of applications.

____________________________
Telecomunicações /Docente Dorivaldo Silva de Engenharia Informática, Pelo ISPAJ - Instituto Superior
Politécnico Alvorecer da Juventude, Departamento de Ciências Exatas. Pesquisa sobre (The Future of
Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context). powerdorivaldo@gmail.com
4G (Fourth Generation)
Year of Implementation: Late 2000s.
Technology: Based entirely on IP, for data and voice.
Standards: LTE (Long Term Evolution), WiMAX
Technical Features: Very high data speeds (up to 1 Gbps), reduced latency, improved
spectral efficiency.
Practical Applications: HD video streaming, high-responsive online gaming, advanced
communications.
Advantages: Ultra-fast connections, support for high definition videos, better
performance for games and other data-intensive applications.
Disadvantages: Irregular coverage initially, significant investment in infrastructure.
Transition: The move to 5G is driven by the desire for even higher speeds, lower latency
and the ability to connect many devices in the IoT.

5G (Fifth Generation)
Technology: Advanced and efficient.
Implementation: 2019 onwards.
4
Standards: New Radio (NR)
Technical Features: High speeds (potentially up to 10 Gbps), ultra-low latency, massive
capacity, greater energy efficiency.
Practical Applications: Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities, augmented and virtual
reality, industrial automation, autonomous vehicles.
Advantages: Ability to support a huge number of connected devices, revolutionizing
many industries with new applications.
Disadvantages: High implementation costs, security and privacy issues still under
development, need for new infrastructure and equipment.
Each mobile generation has brought significant improvements over the previous one, not
only in terms of technology, but also in the way it impacts everyday life, the economy
and society. The transition between generations is driven by the growing demand for more
data, better quality of service, and new applications that require advanced connectivity.

____________________________
Telecomunicações /Docente Dorivaldo Silva de Engenharia Informática, Pelo ISPAJ - Instituto Superior
Politécnico Alvorecer da Juventude, Departamento de Ciências Exatas. Pesquisa sobre (The Future of
Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context). powerdorivaldo@gmail.com
The Future of Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context
Yes, satellites like AngoSat-1 can play a significant role in the development of
telecommunications in Angola, including supporting future generations of cellular mobile
networks. Satellites can complement terrestrial telecommunications infrastructures,
especially in a country of Angola's geography and size, where extending terrestrial
network coverage into rural and remote areas can be logistically challenging and
expensive. Let’s explore how satellites can help:

Coverage Expansion
Satellites can provide connectivity in areas where terrestrial infrastructure (such as cell
towers) is non-existent or insufficient. This is particularly useful for ensuring that
communities in isolated or difficult-to-reach regions have access to communication and
internet services. With this, mobile network coverage could be greatly expanded, bringing
connectivity to all parts of the country.

Backup and Network Resilience

Satellites can serve as important backups for terrestrial networks in the event of natural
disasters or other disruptions. This can help keep essential communication active during
emergencies, a crucial benefit for security, health and government services.

5
Support for Next Generation Mobile Networks
For technologies such as 5G and future 6G, which require high capacity and low latency,
integration between terrestrial networks and satellite solutions can be crucial, especially
to achieve continuity and expansion of services in less populated areas. Additionally,
satellites are beginning to directly support technologies that require more bandwidth and
have lower latency, adapting to the needs of modern networks.

Economic and Social Development

By providing expanded access to the internet and mobile communications, satellites can
help foster economic development, improve access to education through e-learning, and
facilitate healthcare services through telemedicine. This can be transformative for rural
areas, contributing significantly to reducing digital inequality.

Technical and Economic Considerations

While using satellites has many benefits, there are also technical and economic challenges
to consider. The costs associated with launching and maintaining satellites are high, and
the ground infrastructure to support satellite transmissions also requires significant

____________________________
Telecomunicações /Docente Dorivaldo Silva de Engenharia Informática, Pelo ISPAJ - Instituto Superior
Politécnico Alvorecer da Juventude, Departamento de Ciências Exatas. Pesquisa sobre (The Future of
Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context). powerdorivaldo@gmail.com
investment. Additionally, latency is still an issue with satellite communications, although
recent advances are reducing this problem.

In summary, satellites like AngoSat-1 and future satellite projects can play a crucial role
in complementing and expanding mobile network capabilities in Angola, helping to
propel the country into an era of greater connectivity and technological advancement.
This will be especially important as Angola prepares to adopt more advanced network
technologies such as 5G and beyond.

Final Considerations
This work presented a detailed analysis of successive generations of mobile technologies,
from the emergence of 1G to future prospects with the development of 5G and beyond. It
has been observed that each generation has not only advanced significantly in terms of
technology, but has also had a profound impact on society, changing the way people
communicate, access information and interact with the world around them.
Therefore, this work has not only provided a comprehensive understanding of mobile
communication technologies, but also highlighted the need to carefully consider the
social, economic and technological implications of these advances, to ensure that the
benefits of future generations of mobile technologies are maximized and widely
distributed.
6
References
Technology Magazine About Mobile Network Available on Sites such as:
www.TechCrunch.com, www.Wired.com, www.TheVerge.com
ITU (International Telecommunication Union);
3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project);
Newspaper of Angola available in:
https://www.jornaldeangola.ao/ao/noticias/pretendemos-levar-as-comunicacoes-com-
qualidade-as-zonas-rurais/

____________________________
Telecomunicações /Docente Dorivaldo Silva de Engenharia Informática, Pelo ISPAJ - Instituto Superior
Politécnico Alvorecer da Juventude, Departamento de Ciências Exatas. Pesquisa sobre (The Future of
Cellular Mobile Generations in the Angolan Context). powerdorivaldo@gmail.com