Advancements in wireless technology: 5G concepts

Four generations of cellular communication systems have been adopted in the USA with each new mobile system generation emerging every 10 years or so since the 1980s: first generation analog FM cellular systems in 1981; second generation digital technology in 1992, 3G in 2001, and 4G LTE-A. Existing base station designs must service different bands with different cell sites, where each site has multiple base stations (one for each frequency or technology usage e.g. third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A). To procure new spectrum, it can take a decade of legal formalities through the regulatory bodies such as International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). When the spectrum is finally licensed, incumbent users must be moved off the spectrum, causing further delays and increasing costs (5G).