2015-2019
By 2015, smartphones were everywhere. Wide availability, strong competition, and affordable prices, coupled with the widespread adoption of LTE networks, flat data plans, and Wi-Fi hotspots, meant smartphones became increasingly accessible. This democratisation of technology meant access to the internet had become more prevalent than ever.
Over a billion people worldwide had adopted smartphones, and over 60% of internet traffic came from mobile devices, surpassing desktops. This unprecedented access empowered users in nearly every country to tap into an almost limitless supply of information and transformative services, such as banking and payment systems.
LPWA and the Internet of Things
Of course, the mobile world wasn’t just about phones. Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications had led to the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT), where different wired and wireless technologies were used to connect a myriad of devices, such as sensors, smart metres, street lights, and more. Many of these devices required mobility and adherence to standardised cellular wireless protocols.
Many IoT applications faced challenges due to high power consumption and cost associated with traditional cellular networks like GPRS, WCDMA, and early 4G. To address these limitations, the cellular wireless industry developed low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies that offer low power consumption, wide coverage, and sufficient throughput for most IoT applications, making them ideal for battery-powered devices.
Multiple proprietary LPWA technologies, like Sigfox and LoRa, initially dominated the market. However, a significant breakthrough occurred in 2016 when 3GPP standardised NB-IoT (narrowband IoT) and LTE Cat-M (also commonly known as LTE Category M or LTE-M). These technologies, based on simplified 4G standards, aimed to provide more efficient and cost-effective mobile connectivity for replacing outdated GPRS modules.
For service providers, the decision between NB-IoT and LTE-M hinges on the specific needs of their applications. LTE-M is better suited for applications requiring higher data rates and mobility, such as asset tracking or smart metres in dynamic environments. In contrast, NB-IoT is ideal for static, low-power devices with minimal data requirements, like environmental sensors or smart parking solutions. In 2017, GCF certified its first NB-IoT device, the Quectel BC95-B8. This was a compact module aimed at IoT applications such as smart metering, white goods, street lighting, smart parking, and smoke alarms. 2017 also saw GCF certifying its first multi-mode IoT module, the Sierra Wireless AirPrime HL6528RD, and its first LTE-M module, the SIMCom SIM7000A.
LTE supports innovation
In the consumer market, LTE (and LTE-A) was now a mature, widely adopted technology. As fast and reliable connectivity became standard, industry giants focused on innovation to stand out. Samsung achieved a double-first with its Galaxy Watch LTE, certified by GCF in 2018 — this was the first LTE smartwatch and also the first device certified with a GSMA consumer eSIM. With LTE, a smartwatch can connect to the cellular network without needing to communicate via a phone, so that users can text or call independently, or, for example, can leave their phone at home when they go for a run and still stream music from the internet.
Samsung followed suit in 2018 with the Galaxy Watch LTE, the first smartwatch and first device certified with a GSMA consumer
eSIM and able to support LTE connectivity. This breakthrough enabled users to make calls, send texts, and stream music independently, without needing a phone nearby.
The Consumer eSIM standard was first published by the GSMA in 2016, evolving from a previous implementation for M2M devices. An eSIM, a small secure element embedded in a device, could replace or coexist with the traditional removable SIM cards that had been a familiar part of our phones for years.
GCF worked actively with GSMA to introduce a certification program for Remote SIM Provisioning capabilities for Consumer eSIM in devices, from smartphones, to wearables and connected PCs. The eSIM’s compact size, embedded design, and remote reprogrammability made it ideal for smartphones and wearable devices, especially those requiring water and dust resistance.
By the end of the decade, most smartphones had a similar form factor: a rectangular slab with very few or no physical keys and a
display measuring between 4.5 and 7 inches. In 2019, Samsung introduced a significant innovation with the Galaxy Fold, the first
foldable smartphone certified by GCF. When folded, it looked like a typical smartphone with a 4.6-inch display. However, it could be opened to reveal a 7.5-inch display that was more like a tablet, nearly as big as the iPad Mini’s 7.9- inch screen.
The arrival of 5G
If LTE was mature yet innovative, the newest kid on the block was 5G. Long heralded, the first 5G networks started to be rolled out in 2019. ‘The first mobile phone certified by GCF supporting 5G, the Oppo Reno 5G, arrived in the same year. Launched in Switzerland in May 2019, this was the first 5G mobile phone commercially available in Europe.
When 5G was first deployed, most 5G networks were non-standalone (NSA), which means that they relied on a 4G core network to operate. The transition from 4G LTE to 5G was also smoothed by 5G NR EN-DC (new radio, dual connectivity), which enables devices to use 5G and 4G LTE simultaneously.
Over the years, the industry has been moving increasingly to the full-fledged 5G standalone (SA) networks that operate independently with no need for a 4G core. These 5G SA networks promise better performance and energy efficiency for both operators and users. The first smartphone tested with 5G technology, the Huawei Mate20 X 5G, was certified by GCF in 2019, and also became the first smartphone certified with 5G SA.
But 5G isn’t just for smartphones. Also in 2019, GCF certified its first 5G CPE (consumer premises equipment) device, the Huawei 5G CPE Pro. This was a 5G home router that enabled mobile carriers to offer consumers a home broadband service over the 5G network. These types of devices have evolved significantly and are nowadays one of the most successful use cases for 5G technology.
This text is part of the booklet "A Foundation for the Future: 25 years of GCF", available for download here.