The Evolution of Mobile Communications

This chapter introduces the evolution of mobile communications. As the mobile communications’ context is expected to become increasingly platform-based and ecosystemic, it is important to distinguish relevant perspectives and map the developments in the field. This chapter provides an outlook from the first (1G) to fifth (5G) generation of mobile communications by looking at technology and standardization, relevant regulatory developments and contents, and specifically characterizes the business ecosystems toward the sixth generation of mobile communications (6G). The purpose of the chapter is to provide a contextual setting for the discussions presented in the subsequent chapters by showing the emergence and evolutionary continuum of mobile communications from 1 to 6G.