With the recent news in the press that Apple’s new iPad has 4G technology and that Everything Everywhere [the parent group of Orange and T-Mobile] It may be up and running with a 4G mobile network before the end of the year. I thought it might be helpful to explain what 4G really is.
On-the-go connectivity.
When mobile phones were first introduced, there was no text messaging and certainly no data connectivity. Then came 2G or 2nd Generation networks and with them came the ability to transmit and receive data, although the speeds were really slow – 9.6kb/s – slower than the old, screechy, modem that I used to use in the early days of the Internet. Slowly, technology improved and data speeds increased, with the latest versions of 2G reaching speeds of around 56 kb/s, about the same as my last dial-up modem, just before I jumped on the broadband bandwagon.
Mobile communications speed up
Around 2001 a jump in speed was achieved with the introduction of 3rd Generation technologies, [3G] which, in its presentation, offered a speed about four times faster than 2G, around 200 kb/s [0.2Mb/s] and the constant evolution of technology meant that the maximum speeds increased to a theoretical 7.2 Mb/s, through HSDPA, although to support any change to reach this speed it is necessary to be in an area with sufficient coverage, with few users and be standing
Now, fourth generation technologies are being rolled out all over the world and phones and tablets are becoming available that can take advantage of this new technology.
But what is this?
4G [4th Generation Mobile Technology] it is a set of standards that defines the requirements of a 4G network and the bar is very high. The current standard defines a 4G network as one that provides 100 Mb/s for users on the go. [a speed that only a few years ago was the standard for wired networks around offices] and delivering 1 Gb/s to a stationary or slow-moving location, e.g. pedestrians, although speeds actually achieved will be determined by so many variables that, like all speed promises, the realistic speed is likely to be a a little lower.
However, this is still a significant jump in connection speed, one that could see mobile connectivity exceed the speeds provided by a landline service, unless your landline goes down over fiber optics.
It’s worth noting that the UK is behind the curve on 4G, which is unusual for a country that has, for so long, led the way: Korea introduced the first 4G network in 2006 and Scandinavia did the same in 2009 and that networks 4G can also use names. such as WiMax and LTE [Long term evolution].