The evolution of mobile communication standards. What lies behind 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and their respective advantages for the Internet of Things.
The evolution of mobile communications standards has revolutionized mobile data transmission. Find out what is behind 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G and what advantages the different generations offer for IoT and M2M projects.
2G, 3G, 4G and 5G are mobile communications standards. The G stands for generation and refers to the second, third, fourth and fifth generation. The difference between the various generations lies primarily in the speed of data transmission.
Most people are familiar with 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G through the use of mobile data on smartphones or tablets. However, mobile communications are also very popular in the context of M2M communication, i.e. the exchange of data from machine to machine. Advances in mobile data transmission mean that new M2M and IoT applications are constantly being added. However, the older mobile communications standards have also already ensured strong growth in the IoT and M2M sector.
In 1992, 2G was introduced as the first digital mobile network based on the GSM standard (Global System for Mobile Communications). In addition to telephony, this made mobile data transmission possible for the first time. The data is transmitted via GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), but is very slow compared to today's standards.
2G is available almost everywhere in Germany, but is to be switched off from summer 2028, as announced by Deutsche Telekom. Due to the slow transmission rate, 2G is mainly used for telephony and text messaging. The mobile communications standard is also currently still frequently used for emergency call and alarm systems in buildings. To ensure that these systems continue to run smoothly after the switch-off, they must be converted to the 4G standard.
After GSM, UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) or 3G, the third mobile communications standard, was developed in 2000. Compared to the 2G standards, it enabled data to be transmitted much faster. Thanks to the new Wideband CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) radio access technology, UMTS also made it possible to send and receive multiple data streams simultaneously.
Network operators in Germany are now switching off their 3G networks in favor of newer mobile communications standards and using the frequencies that become available for the expansion of 4G and 5G. For IoT and M2M projects, switching off 3G only causes problems if the M2M SIM cards or M2M plans used do not support the use of 4G and 5G. The M2M SIMs from wherever SIM support both 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G, so our customers do not have to worry about any restrictions due to the M2M SIM.
4G or LTE (Long Term Evolution) is one of the mobile communications standards with the fastest data transmission. Even large data downloads are possible within a few seconds. However, 4G is not yet available nationwide in Germany.
A study by the Federal Network Agency in 2021 showed that only one of the three mobile networks in the 4G standard can be received on around 7.2% of the total area of Germany. The southern German states are particularly poorly covered: 15.5% of Bavaria is covered by a single mobile network, 15.1% of Baden-Württemberg and 15.9% of Rhineland-Palatinate.
For IoT projects in which the 4G network plays an important role, it is therefore all the more important to use a multi-network SIM card, e.g. from wherever SIM . This can use the mobile networks of different providers and dial into the strongest network available at the respective location.
The latest mobile communications standard and "successor" to the LTE network is 5G. It is considered a kind of revolution in the mobile network, as it is intended to enable data transmission in real time. The expansion of the 5G network has also made great strides in recent years, meaning that the standard is already being used more frequently.
5G is becoming increasingly attractive for a growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) applications that require very high data throughput, such as autonomous driving or virtual and augmented reality applications. While 4G is already technically capable of meeting these requirements and enabling such projects, 5G assumes a different pricing structure, resulting in lower costs for very high data usage than the 4G network. Learn more about the benefits 5G brings for IoT and M2M projects here.
With the progressive shutdown of older mobile communications standards such as 2G and 3G, many operators of IoT and M2M solutions are facing the challenge of migrating their systems. We recommend a smooth transition:
Our M2M SIM cards support all current mobile communications standards (2G, 4G, 5G) as well as the IoT-specific standards LTE-M and NB-IoT. Thanks to multi-network capability and optional eUICC technology, you are optimally equipped for the future - even beyond the 2G switch-off.
Find out more about our M2M SIM cards
