2G

Updated: 10/11/2021 by Computer Hope
2G or second generation

Short for second generation, 2G is a term used to denote the second generation of cellular phone technology established in 1991 under the GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) standard.

2G features

2G brought fully-digital features to what were previously analog cellular networks. They included improved security, frequency spectrum efficiency, SMS (short message service) text messages, MMS (Multimedia Message Service), and picture messages.

Note

2G was also the first to employ PCS (personal communications services).

How fast was 2G?

Depending on the service technology, 2G has theoretical max speeds between 5 and 48 kilobytes per second. For comparison, the transfer rate of a typical 5G network (based on an average of 100 Mb/s) is about 2,500 times faster!

Cell phone, Computer abbreviations, Generation, Phone terms, Text messaging, Wireless