Networking & Cellular
E13 Cell Phone Basics — Study Guide
This guide covers Cell Phone Basics as part of Networking & Cellular. Start with the vocabulary, then try to answer each question before revealing the answer. Connect these facts to a real network or cellular connection and practice the subject in the arcade when you are ready.
Acronyms first
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ITU | International Telecommunications Union |
| LTE | Long-Term Evolution |
| IMSI | International Mobile Subscriber Identity |
| VLR | Visitor Location Register |
Key facts
Mobile telephony history started with experiments communicating with…
moving vehicles
POTS is voice-grade service using ____ transmission over copper loops.
analog
Cellular service at its core is based on…
POTS / PSTN
1G as a standard was developed in 1976 by…
Nippon Telegraph
1G was introduced into the United States in…
1983
1G was notoriously…
unsecure — anyone on the frequency could hear calls
The final 1G network closed in 2017 in…
Russia
2G launched in 1991 in…
Finland
2G launched on which system?
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
Which generation introduced encrypted voice and digital comms?
2G
Which generation introduced SMS and MMS (using the voice channel)?
2G
As of 2014, about what percent of cellular networks were 2G?
2%
3G was developed in 2001 in…
Japan
3G's focus was…
standardizing vendors' network protocols
Which generation introduced international roaming?
3G
Actual web browsing began being supported with…
3G
As of 2024, about what percent of cellular networks use 3G?
4%
Illicit 3G cell sites are called…
Sim-Cell Sites
Widespread GPS functionality came with…
3G
Using GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular and RFID to create a 'boundary' to gather data is…
GeoFencing
Transmitting false coordinates so a GPS reads you somewhere else is…
GPS Spoofing
Overwhelming GPS with high-power garbage data on GPS frequencies is…
GPS Jamming
4G was commercially introduced in 2009 in…
Norway
Unlike 2G/3G (just a SIM change), 4G required…
devices tailor-built for the technology
The ITU set the 4G standard at…
12.5 Mbps
LTE was a transitional technology coined…
3.75G
Which 4G tech allowed packet switching for seamless browsing, calls and text?
All-IP systems
Wi-MAX is IEEE…
802.16m
5G was commercially introduced in 2019 in…
South Korea
5G's claimed speed gain over 4G?
~200%
As of 2024, about what percent of cellular networks are 5G?
54%
mmWave (Millimeter Wave) is which frequency class?
EHF
Which 5G tech lets 4G and 5G occupy the same frequencies dynamically?
Dynamic Spectrum Sharing
Which 5G tech uses many, many antennae?
Massive MIMO
6G is expected around…
2030
Which proposed 6G feature lets the network act as a large-scale sensor for objects and motion?
Integrated Sensing and Communication
6G proposes centimeter wave at…
7–15 GHz
6G proposes sub-THz above…
100 GHz
A mobile telephone is a sophisticated ____ radio.
full-duplex
The cellular approach solved the capacity problem by using…
many smaller antennas each covering a small cell
The 'heart' of the cellular phone is the…
Transceiver
The transceiver consists of an ____ radio transmitter and receiver.
FM
The three main parts of a cellular phone?
Modulator, Processor, Antenna
The chip in the logic unit holding the phone's identifiers is the…
NAM (Numeric Assignment Module)
Which NAM identifier is the phone's telephone number?
MIN (Mobile Identification Number)
Which NAM identifier is the unique number assigned by the manufacturer?
ESN (Electronic Serial Number)
Which NAM identifier identifies the phone's home cellular system?
SID (System Identification Number)
A visiting handset served by a VLR queries the ___ for security data and service profile.
HLR (Home Location Register)
After validation, the VLR assigns a…
TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity)
Registration determines the customer's identity and…
location
Registration occurs when…
the customer turns on the subscriber unit
Which number identifies the CUSTOMER?
IMSI
Which number identifies the EQUIPMENT (assigned by manufacturer)?
IMEI
Unique identification identifies the unit, reduces fraud, and associates each customer with a…
Location Area Identity (LAI)
Which control channel continuously broadcasts the base station's identity and channel status?
Broadcast Control Channel (BCC)
Which control channel handles location updating, registration, and call setup?
Dedicated Control Channel (DCC)
Which element locates the cell phone being called?
MSC (Mobile Services Switching Center)
The entire service area blanketed by cells is the…
CGSA (Cellular Geographic Service Area)
Practice this module
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