From being very popular to disappearing completely, do you still remember the Xiao Lingtong in "Storm"?

The popularity of the TV series "Kuang Biao" has brought the "communication technology" of Xiaolingtong back into people's attention. What technology did the once popular Xiaolingtong use, and why was it eliminated by the market?

Written by reporter Zhao Tianyu New Media Editor: Lv Bingxin

▲TV series Crazy Poster Source: iQiyi

Recently, the popularity and heated discussion of the TV series "Kuang Biao" has brought the "communication technology" of Xiaolingtong back into people's attention. Gao Qisheng in the play was in the Xiaolingtong business, but he went bankrupt because he did not see the future development direction clearly, which led to the change of the fate of the two brothers.

Xiaolingtong, the full name of which is Personal Handy Phone System, or PHS for short, is a Japanese digital cordless telephone system whose core technology comes from Japanese operator NTT. It was officially put into operation in some areas of Japan in July 1995. Soon after, this technology was introduced to China. In 1998, Xiaolingtong was officially launched in Yuhang, Zhejiang, marking the official entry of Xiaolingtong into the Chinese market.

So, what technology did the once popular Xiaolingtong use? And why was it eliminated from the market?

Microcell technology: A bigger version of the cordless phone

Unlike ordinary mobile phones, Xiaolingtong uses micro-cellular technology, also known as WLL technology (Wireless Local Loop), which connects the user end, that is, the mobile phone, to the local telephone network wirelessly. In this way, traditional fixed-line telephones can be freely moved and used within the coverage of the wireless network, which is somewhat similar to an enlarged version of a "cordless phone".

▲In 1998, Hangzhou officially launched the "Xiaolingtong" portable phone (PAS) service. Source: Zhejiang Daily

In terms of frequency band, Xiaolingtong adopts multi-carrier TDMA/TDD technology, with an operating frequency band of 900-1915MHz and a carrier spacing of 300KHz.

The biggest feature of Xiaolingtong is its cheapness , with a monthly rental fee of less than 30 yuan. More than 20 years ago, people's living standards were not high, and low-cost mobile phones were very popular in China after they were launched. In just five years, the number of users exceeded 80 million.

▲Xiaolingtong classic models Source: Sohu.com

But its weakness is also fatal. Based on PHS technology, the transmission power is very small, so a base station must be set up every 200 meters. Too many base stations not only make network construction difficult, but also lead to frequent switching of base stations in mobile state, making the signal unstable. At the same time, the penetration ability of PHS signal is relatively poor, and there is often no signal indoors or in high-rise buildings.

"Holding a Xiaolingtong, standing in the wind and rain, switching from left hand to right hand, I just can't get through!" This popular jingle at the time vividly and vividly depicts the drawbacks of Xiaolingtong.

Witness the development of China's communications technology

In fact, Xiaolingtong itself is a relatively backward technology. Because of its poor signal, it is not popular in Japan and is called "the poor man's cellular".

▲Technical drawbacks of Xiaolingtong mobile phone: Zhao Tianyu

Why can this technology, which was eliminated by Japan, flourish in China? ** Policy factors account for a large part of this: before the third telecommunications restructuring, my country adopted a separate regulatory approach. ** China Mobile and China Unicom operate wireless communications, while China Telecom and China Netcom operate fixed-line and broadband businesses.

Xiaolingtong uses micro cells, which can be seen as an extension of fixed-line telephone services. Therefore, the two major operators, China Telecom and China Netcom, have to take this "curve" approach to develop "mobile" telephone services.

However, with the advancement of mobile communication technology, major operators began to lower their mobile phone charges, and the competitiveness of Xiaolingtong declined significantly. To make matters worse, the frequency band used by Xiaolingtong affected the "domestic standard" TD-SCDMA, which was highly valued by the country at that time.

▲ Xiaolingtong poster source: China Telecom

In 2009, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology required that all wireless access systems in the 1900-1920MHz frequency band must complete frequency clearance and network withdrawal by the end of 2011 to ensure that they do not cause harmful interference to the 1880-1900MHz frequency band TD-SCDMA system.

In this way, the PHS, with its outdated technology, poor signal and inability to roam, gradually fell into decline, and the number of users dropped sharply. Finally, in October 2014, it officially stopped service, withdrew from the stage of history, and disappeared from people's sight.

▲Source of the clip about Xiaolingtong in the TV series: "Crazy" series

From its launch in 1998 to its peak in 2006, and then to its withdrawal from the network in 2014, Xiaolingtong survived in China for a total of 16 years. However, it has left a strong mark in the history of Chinese communications, and also witnessed the development of my country's communications technology, especially the great progress from Xiaolingtong's "following" to the independent development of 3G, 4G, and 5G communications technologies, and gradually leading the world.

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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