A 101 on the wireless "Gs"

With 5G networks now rolling out across the country, we’ve reached the next generation of wireless technology. Each predecessor – 4G, 3G, 2G, etc. – has redefined what we can do on our phones. If you're not sure what those Gs mean, you're not alone. To get you up to speed, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile have put together a brief history of the wireless networks.

In short, "G" stands for generation, and new generations of mobile service have tended to appear every 10 years or so. Each new one brings faster network speeds, better wireless service and phones that can do a lot more. Texting, emailing and apps all evolved from basic phones that could only make calls.

0G: The Predecessor to Cell Phones

Yes, there was a 0G. Launched after World War II, pre-cellular 0G service was a large radio system that required an operator to patch calls through to the recipient. Since 0G mobile radio telephones weighed a lot and were not very portable, they were usually in cars and trucks (and sometimes briefcases).

1G: The Cell Phone Arrives

By the mid-1980s, a new wireless service had spread across the world. 1G was the first generation of wireless technology, first launched in Japan by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. 1G service was voice-only and used a standardized analog technology that transmitted a constant radio wave from device to device. 1G no longer required an operator to patch calls through, but call quality was not very good and many calls were dropped.

2G: Analog Turns Digital

2G was a huge leap forward because it used digital radio waves instead of analog radio waves. This means that rather than transmitting a constant radio wave, phone conversations were converted to binary code and encrypted so that data could be more reliably transferred and only the intended recipient could listen to the call. 2G also allowed people to use SMS text messages for the first time. The first 2G network was launched in Finland in 1991.

3G: Voice Meets Data

The first commercial 3G networks went live in the late 1990s and early 2000s, bringing high-speed data to phones. Along with calling and texting, people could now surf the web on their phones. But 3G data speeds were not very fast and downloads could take a long time.

These new capabilities needed new phones that could take advantage of them – thus the age of the smartphone came into view.

4G and LTE: Modern Wireless

Today, 4G LTE phones are the most prevalent. They provide much faster data speeds than 3G—around 10 times more megabits per second. As with the jump from 2G to 3G, this has enabled a whole new set of applications such as mobile gaming, ride-sharing apps and HD video streaming. According to the Pew Research Center, about 81% of Americans now have smartphones, up from 35% in 2011.

5G: The Future of Wireless Communications

Promising speeds in the gigabit range, 5G is expected to completely change the wireless landscape in the next few years. Besides faster speeds, the biggest benefit of 5G is lower latency—that is, the time it takes for your device to realize it's sending or receiving data. Reducing the time between data transfers is essential for the next wave of augmented and virtual reality, as well as things like self-driving cars and virtual concerts where any amount of lag can have big consequences.

Right now, T-Mobile has launched 5G nationwide and Verizon, AT&T and Sprint have launched 5G in select cities across the United States. If you have 5G in your area, to get the service you’ll need to pick up a 5G-capable phone too.