Noun
Cellular refers to a network technology that facilitates mobile device communication over areas made up of cells (aka cell sites) and transceivers (aka base stations).
Communication within a cellular network is wireless and distributed over areas called cells, where each cell is served by at least one base station or cell tower.
Each base station supplies the cell with network coverage that can be used to transmit voice, data, SMS, and internet access. Typically, each cell uses different frequencies from its neighbors to avoid interference and ensure quality service.
Combined, cells provide a vast cellular network where numerous mobile transceivers can communicate with each other and fixed transceivers anywhere in the network. This is possible even when transceivers move through different cells during transmission.
The most commonly used mobile transceivers in a cellular network are mobile phones or cell phones.
Since its inception in the 1940s, then widespread adoption in the 1980s, cellular technology has grown in leaps.
The first generation of analog systems (1G) gave way to digital systems such as 2G, which have evolved over different generations into the 5G technology currently in development and implementation.
| Generation | Year of Launch (Approx.) | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1G | 1979 | Mobile voice |
| 2G | 1991 | Mobile voice |
| 3G | 2001 | Mobile broadband |
| 4G | 2009 | Mobile broadband |
| 5G | 2018 | Ubiquitous connectivity |
Example of Cellular in a sentence
"Cellular technology is the basis for modern-day communication through cell phones."
Synonyms: Mobile network
Related Terms for Cellular