The Development of First Generation Mobile Phones

Within the last few decades, technology has grown exponentially. Today we are able to do so much more than previous generations even dreamed of doing. One particular area of technology that has seen significant growth is mobile phone technology. This area has evolved over the years and can be traced through the generations.

The 1980s featured the first generation of mobile phones. This generation is set apart from others by its usage of multiple cell sites. By using multiple cell sites, users were better able to maintain their signal. While on their phone, they could travel from one area to the next, all the while covered by different cells. During the switch between cell areas, the call could continue. During this generation, mobile phones became more portable. This was significant for the later generation of mobile phone development.

The first commercial cellular network was launched by the Japanese in 1979. Known as 1G, this network was able to cover the expansive Tokyo area, reaching 20 million people. In order to accommodate such a large area, the region was further divided up into 23 base stations. Five years later, the entire country was networked for mobile phone usage. This was the first nationwide 1G network in the world.

The second part of the world to create a 1G network was in Scandinavia. The countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark collaborated to create such a network in 1981. This particular network was unique in that it did allow users to roam internationally. The United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico also jumped on the bandwagon and created networks. In 1983, the U.S. went online with their 1G network. Here the first hand held mobile phone was operational with this network. In order to do this, the cell sites had to overlap to provide a stronger signal. Still, calls were often lost as this technology was still being developed.

Mobile phones have come a long way since the 1G networks. Data upload and download rates are much faster, and call quality is better than ever before. New mobile handsets have taken advantage of the available technology, and provide many services that would have seemed impossible when the first networks were created. If you want to find a new mobile phone, you can visit Dial-A-Phone.co.uk to see what handsets are available.