A Survey of Wireless Cellular Network Generations and Their Channel Access Techniques

Authors

  • Philip Achimugu Department of Computer Science, Air Force Institute of Technology Kaduna, 800283, Nigeria
  • Zakka Augustine Department of Telecommunications Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology Kaduna, 800283, Nigeria
  • Monday Jubrin Abdullahi School of Technology, Woxsen University Hyderabad, 502345, India
  • Olalekan Lanihun Departtment of Computer Science, College of Engineering, Environment and Science, Coventry University, CV1 2JH, United Kingdom
  • Rume Elizabeth Yoro Department of Cyber Security, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, 320001, Nigeria
  • Abubakar Aliyu Abba Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette Campus, Indiana, 47907, USA
  • Ahmed Hamisu Department of Aerospace Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology Kaduna, 800283, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33736/jcsi.8835.2026

Keywords:

WCC, Air-Interfaces, CA, Network Life, 0G, 5G

Abstract

The world of Wireless Cellular Communication (WCC) has achieved several top-notch transformations. This is due to the increasing innovations in Channel Access (CA) techniques. CA can be referred to as the methods of injecting life into a wireless network for the activation of varying air interfaces. It can also be defined as a technique used to ensure the modulated signal is properly fit-in a required communication channel for effective transmission. This transformation is recorded in every upgrade of air-interfaces in WCC generations. Air-interfaces mean variations in communication systems, which is consistent with frequency of operation ranges. WCC is divided into different successive generational shifts, which vary in frequencies of operation, in a successive ten-year circle. Starting in the 1970s, it has so far metamorphosed from Zero Generation (0G) through Fifth Generation (5G), with each air-interface frequency being activated by its varying CA techniques. In trying to meet the changing customer’s demands and equipment advancements, which are the increasing operational bandwidth and mitigation of loss of transmission information, new and advanced air interfaces have now been assigned frequencies of deployment. This is possible as a result of constant innovations and upgrades in CAs, which serve as the reagents in the modification of modern wireless signal waveforms. This research conducted a survey on the existing commercial air-interface generations of WCC systems so far achieved/deployed relative to its CAs. Trusting that this will ignite researchers to conceive novel proposals on highly scalable CA techniques that will drive up-coming versions of air-interface frequencies of WCC networks.

References

Arrano, F. H., & Azurdia-Meza, A. C. (2016). OFDM: Today and in the Future of Next Generation Wireless Communications. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306195106, 1-7.

Attaran, M. (2021). The impact of 5G on the evolution of intelligent automation and industry digitization. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 1-17.

Augustine, Z., Tekanyi, A. M. S., Sani, S. M., Usman, A. D., & Yaro, A. S. (2022). Development of a Novel Feedback-Filtered Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Scheme for 5G Network and Beyond. Journal of Telecommunication, Electronic and Computer Engineering (JTEC). 13(4), 1-6, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357517442

Augustine, Z., Yaro, S. A., Tekanyi, A. M. S., Bello, H., Abdu-Aguye, U. F., & Agbo, E. E. (2025). Feedback Filtered-OFDM Waveform Candidature for Interference Mitigation in 5G Networks and Beyond. International Journal of Integrated Engineering. 17(1), 323-339, https://publisher.uthm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/ijie

Bliley’s Technology, (2017). The Evolution and History of Radio Wave Technology (Infographic).

Cai, Y., Qin, Z., Cui, F., Li, G. Y., & McCann, J. A. (2018). Modulation and multiple access for 5G networks. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 20(1), 629-646.

Chávez-Santiago, R., Szydełko, M., Kliks, A., Foukalas, F., Haddad, Y., Nolan, K. E., & Balasingham,I.(2015). 5G: The convergence of wireless communications. Wireless Personal Communications, 83(3), 1617-1642.

Chiaraviglio, L., Elzanaty, A., & Alouini, M. S. (2021). Health risks associated with 5G exposure: A view from the communications engineering perspective. IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society. 19(2), 2131-79, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341815740

Dilli, R. (2020, March). Analysis of 5G wireless systems in FR1 and FR2 frequency bands. In 2020 2nd International Conference on Innovative Mechanisms for Industry Applications (ICIMIA) (pp. 767-772). IEEE.

Hamza, H., Talha, A., Ullah, S., & Ahmed, S. U. (2025). Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS): Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Spectrum of Engineering Science. 3(7), 533-546, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16108438

Kumar, U. (2015). Pandect of 5g Communication Technology in Context with Some Latest Researches. The International Journal of Engineering and Science (IJES), 4(7), 17-22.

Kumar, P., & Sumit, D. (2021). Review Paper on Development of Mobile Wireless Technology. International Conference on Recent Trends in Computing (ICRTCE), Conf. Ser. 1979 012024, 1-6.

Liu, Y., Ouyang, C., Ding, Z., & Schober, R. (2024). The road to next-generation multiple access: A 50-year tutorial review. arXiv. http://arxiv.org/abs/2403.00189v2

Lu, Y., & Zheng, X. (2020). 6G: A survey on technologies, scenarios, challenges, and the related issues. Journal of Industrial Information Integration, 19, 1-14.

Pandey, A., & Sharma, D. (2020). Filtered-OFDM for 5G Wireless Communication Narrow-band IoT Systems. IOSR Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IOSR-JEEE), 15(3), 24-31.

Ramadhan, A. J. (2019). Implementation of a 5G Filtered-OFDM Waveform Candidate. International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology, 12(4), 500-507.

Sahrab, A. A., & Yaseen, D. A. (2021). Filtered orthogonal multiplexing scheme for improved 5G systems, Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, 10(4), 2079-2087.

Salih, A. A., Zeebaree, S. R., Abdulraheem, A. S., Zebari, R. R., Sadeeq, M. A., & Ahmed, O. M. (2020). Evolution of mobile wireless communication to 5G revolution. Technology Reports of Kansai University, 62(5), 2139-2151.

Stasio, D. F., Mondin, M., & Daneshgaran, F. (2018). Multirate 5G downlink performance comparison for f-OFDM and w-OFDM schemes with different numerologies. In 2018 International Symposium on Networks, Computers and Communications (ISNCC) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

Taher, M. A., Radhi, H. S., & Jameil, A. K. (2021). Enhanced F-OFDM candidate for 5G applications. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 12(1), 635-652.

Tikhomirov, A., Omelyanchuk, E., & Semenova, A. (2018, March). Recommended 5G frequency bands evaluation. In 2018 Systems of Signals Generating and Processing in the Field of on-Board Communications (pp. 1-5). IEEE.

Wei, M. (2023). Semantic Communication System: Fundamentals, Challenges, and Performance Metrics. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372956160

Yang, M., Chen, Y., & Du, L. (2019). Interference Analysis and Filter Parameters Optimization for Uplink Asynchronous F-OFDM Systems. IEEE Access, 7, 48356- 48370.

Yang, X., Yan, S., Li, X., & Li, F. (2020). A Unified Spectrum Formulation for OFDM, FBMC, and F-OFDM. www.mdpi.com/journal/electronics, Electronics, 9(1285), 1-15.

Yoro, E. R., Adamu-Fika, F., Ademuwagun, K. A., Ubadike, O., Augustine, A., Olufemi, O. T., & Achimugu, P. (2025). Using Machine Learning Algorithms for Anomalies Detection in Modern Wireless Communication Systems. In 9th International Conference on Information System Design and Intelligent Applications (ISDIA 2025). Springer Nature lectures notes.

You, X., Wang, C. X., Huang, J., Gao, X., Zhang, Z., Wang, M., Huang, Y., Chuan Zhang, C., Jiang, X., Wang, J., Zhu, M., Sheng, B., Wang, D., Pan, Z., Zhu, P., Yang, Y., Liu, Z., Zhang, P., Tao, X., Li, S., Chen, Z., Ma, X., Lin, C., Han, S., Li, K., Pan, C., Zheng, Z., Hanzo, L., Shen, X. S., Guo, Y. J., Ding, Z., Haas, H., Tong, W., Zhu, P., Yang, G., Larsson, E. G., Ngo, H. Q., Hong, W., Wang, H., Hou, D., Chen, J., Chen, Z., Hao, Z., Li, G. Y., Tafazolli, R., Yue Gao, Y., Poor, H. V., Fettweis, G. P., & Liang, Y. C. (2021). Towards 6g Wireless Communication Networks: Vision, Enabling Technologies, and New Paradigm Shifts-Review Information Sciences, 64, 1-74.

Zahra, A., Umar Khan, Q., & Sheikh, S. A. (2021). Comparative analysis of quaternion modulation system with OFDM systems. International Journal of Electronics Letters, 9(2), 212-221.

Zhang, L., Ijaz, A., Xiao, P., Molu, M. M., & Tafazolli, R. (2017). Filtered OFDM systems, algorithms, and performance analysis for 5G and beyond. IEEE Transactions on Communications, 66(3), 1205-1218.

Zou, F., Liu, Z., Hu, X., & Wang, G. (2021). A Novel PAPR Reduction Scheme for OFDM Systems Based on Neural Networks, Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 1-8.

Downloads

Published

2025-11-05

How to Cite

Achimugu, P., Augustine, Z., Jubrin Abdullahi, M., Lanihun, O., Yoro, R. E., Abba, A. A., & Hamisu, A. (2025). A Survey of Wireless Cellular Network Generations and Their Channel Access Techniques. Journal of Computing and Social Informatics, 5(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.33736/jcsi.8835.2026