Telecom gear makers have analyzed that 2G and 3G technologies will continue to play an important role over a long period of time. The reason behind this is, with the huge installed-based of 2G and 3G handsets in the country, even as 4G LTE penetration continues to improve, and the government and industry propel for the 5G technology.

It is confirmed that 2G and 3G technologies will not vanish in the future. They are also the technologies which are in priority which will help in meeting future goals to overcome other challenges. GSM can be a better option if only voice call is a prior requirement.

Swedish telecom gear makers have clearly stated that many 2G based devices have been installed hence it will not perish in the future. 3G and 4G have similar functionality, even though their usage depends from market to market. It has been noticed that 4G and 2G has a long duration and usage as compared to 3G.

India’s leading telecom operators have confirmed that it will shut down 3G service in the next 3-4 years, and will utilize its 3G airwaves in the 2100 MHz band for 4G services. Idea Cellular, which is currently in the process of merging with Vodafone India, will not stop 3G services anytime, as the technology offers a backup for its voice services in many service areas. The telecom is spending most of its energy and funds on expanding its 4G network.

5G

The present feature phones will continue to be the real element of the game plan, therefore 2G or 3G will exist, even though 5G is a replacement for 2G. To understand the complete strategy of any new technology requires a long duration, hence the entire market will not be able to shift from one technology to another completely.

India’s situation is similar to other countries; hence operators have to understand the usage and traffic. Doing so will help the market to plan out a migration strategy. Still, there is a belief that even 10 years from today there will be a legacy technology, not only in India but in other countries also.

According to a recent report on mobility, 2G still accounts for 211 million subscribers but 3G will be used by 740 million customers in India by 2022. On the other hand, 4G will account for 520 million subscribers. Our Jain University is offering a course on B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering and M.Tech in Communication Systems where the complete Mobile communication system will be covered.

Author:
Dr. Thangadurai N,
Head of the Department,
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering
School of Engineering and Technology (JAIN – Deemed–to-be-University)