How Fast is 4G

One of the most significant developments in recent technological history is the advent of the 4G network. This leads one to ask the question How fast is 4G, since all promotions of the network talk about blazing fast speed for mobile Internet and over the air data plans. If you look at all the new smartphones that have been released recently, or are on the way out soon, then they are all 4G compliant, and this goes to show the rising expectations from this network.

What is 4G?

4G implies the fourth generation of wireless Internet standards, and this is a step above the currently functioning 3G network. Over the 4G network one can enjoy extremely high speeds of data exchange and data transfer, and one can also enjoy enhanced levels of network security. What this means is that wireless networking will get faster, safer and more satisfactory than anything we have seen so far. Activities like streaming videos over the web, watching movies in real time, exchanging information and even watching live TV will become far more quicker and trouble-free than what it is already.

4G Internet service will primarily be used for cell phones, since these are the primary wireless devices in play today. Apart from these, even wireless broadband Internet will benefit from the 4G standards, and they will also witness an increased capacity for transferring HD videos, high quality voice protocols and other exchanges. Read more on what is 4G.

How Fast is 4G Internet

This brings us back to the original question. The kind of speeds that we can expect from the 4G network will be anything between 5 Mbits/second to 100 Mbits/second, depending on the kind of 4G network your service provider will offer you. The upper limit of this speed is hard to pin down and state accurately, since it depends heavily on a bunch of external factors. The infrastructure that is put in place by the service provider will play the biggest role. It is this very infrastructure that will take some amount of time to put into place, so we cannot expect the best possible results from 4G network just as yet. To get a clearer picture we must remember that the 3G network took almost a decade to get into place completely.

The major service providers in the United States at present are AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. Each of them now offers their own variant of 4G connectivity, but many people claim that these are not true 4G networks. The fact of the matter is that 4G connectivity will fall into place gradually, and not overnight. Here are the different variants of 4G network available.

    * HSPA+: T-Mobile provides this form of 4G Internet speed, and they say it has rolled out to almost 100 cities in the US. Download speeds can run up to 42 Mbits/second here.
    * WiMAX: This service is provided by Sprint, and it offers download speeds of almost 100 Mbits/second. The next level of WiMAX will apparently reach as high as 1 Gbits/second. Currently, 71 cities can enjoy this service.
    * LTE: Also known as Long Term Evolution, this service is provided by AT&T and Verizon. Right now 40 cities can enjoy speeds of around 100 Mbits/second, but this is perhaps the network with the most potential.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas last week, we saw a slew of 4G phones announced, and you can read about them in this article on new Android phones 2011. Even though 4G connectivity will take a few years to be perfected, we can expect 2G and even 3G technology to be phased out slowly. With this rapid change, it is wise to know all about 'How fast is 4G Internet'. Read more on 4G vs 3G.

Right now 4G connectivity is just something to brag about, and it is also pretty expensive. It is only a matter of time till the prices fall though, and for the network to be widely available to one and all. Once you realize how fast is 4G, you will not want to go back to the comparatively slower 3G mobile phones network. You will even get the option to use 4G Internet cards to access this network pretty soon. So all we need to do is cross our fingers and hope that this excellent new service comes rolling out sooner, rather than later.

4G Internet

We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.
~ Carl Sagan

Continuing in the line of the above quote, there is much brouhaha these days with regards to 4G Internet and mobile devices and services being the in things in the domain of communications technology. Everyone is talking about getting that latest 4G cell phone model or thinking of dumping their current service providers in favor of getting a 4G Internet connection. However, other than knowing that 4G is the hot new wireless Internet access and communication technology that imparts God speed to all electronic and telecommunication media, very few are properly acquainted with what 4G actually means. Well, here's a workable guide if you wish to get a closer look at the wireless communications and Internet technology which you are presently using or which you intend to use soon. After all, it is always good to know the technological allies of your daily life up close, if not inside out! Won't you agree?

What is 4G?

4G is the acronym for 4th generation - 4th generation of cellular wireless standard. This technology has been developed with a view to provide a solely IP-based wireless, portable broadband solutions for wireless networking and communication devices such as laptops, smartphones, etc. So, what is 4G all about? Well, a 4G network is equipped with Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) digital modulation scheme as well as Single Carrier FDMA. Coupled with these are such coming-of-age technological conjunctions as dynamic channel allocation, multiple antennas and channel dependent scheduling. The speed requirements suggested for this wireless communications standards is fixed at 100 Mbit/s for wireless communication in a high mobility environment while you are on the go (such as from trains, cars, etc.) and at 1 Gbit/s for wireless communication in a low mobility environment (such as when you're commuting on foot or are stationed at a fixed spot).

So, How Is 4G Internet Service Better Than It's predecessors?

Well, as far as 4G vs 3G is concerned (or for that matter, if compared with any of the preceding standards of technology), 4G offers better quality and faster video streaming and allows smoother and faster upload and download of data. This is due to the fact that it is equipped with WiMAX, a telecommunication protocol which provides excellent, secure and a comprehensive service for mobile Internet access and wireless communication.

4G Internet Speed

All this talk about lighting speed data exchange and communications promised by 4G Internet must make you want to ask, "Get to the point, dude. How fast is 4G Internet?" As mentioned above, it's at the rate of 100 mbps for computing and Internet access on the move and 1 gbps for stationary users. If that ain't speedy enough then I don't know what is! Moreover, with 4G Internet, you're getting worldwide roaming facilities over a number of networks and you can enjoy a bandwidth flexibility up to a limit of 40 megahertz. Add video chat, Internet TV and video conferencing to it along with unbroken connectivity and you have a lethal combination of speed, efficacy, continuity and mobility. Unless you're a NASA scientist who's keeping a tab on satellites and space crew every minute of his life - even when he's on his way to the NASA laboratory (or whichever place it is where they do all these techno-geeky stuff), you're getting more than you need on a daily basis from your 4G Internet card!

So, I guess now you know 4G Internet better than you did before hitting this page. Therefore, if you have your eyes on that iPhone 4G for sometime now, you know for sure what you're gonna get in the entire package. 4G is for better, faster and continuous Internet access and this technology is here to stay - till of course 5G or any other advancement or upgradation is conceived and evolved.

What is 3G Network

Welcome to the third generation of mobile networking and communications. If you're still nonplussed over what is 3G network, I can't help but making a straight face. An extensive array of enhancements accompanies 3G mobile phones, for example, high-speed Internet, enhanced multimedia access, and international roaming, making it a rather better pick for wireless technology access. If you're fond of having Internet access onto your phone, 3G network offers connectivity to your phone with the Internet and other IP networks, so that you can easily make voice and video calls, while also download and upload data. Precisely, this is what is 3G network used for, most extensively. What follows below is a treatise to those who look forward to learn more about the third generation of wireless technology.

What is 3G Network: A Comprehensive Review

Those immensely tech-savvy would, in the aptest way, set forth what does 3G network mean to them. No wonder, the latest trends of smartphones has got them hooked to 3G in ways impossible to escape from. Now, what makes 3G better than the previous generations? To start with, 3G offers several times higher data speed, with not only quicker, but high-definition audio and video streaming. What's more, it's because of the third generation of wireless networking that video conferencing support is made available to tech junkies. Not only this, but should you savor watching television on your smartphone, 3G network offers IPTV or Internet TV, a service with the help of which, you could watch TV through the Internet. It wouldn't be wrong to call this technology a revolution in itself. I think we reach accord here, don't we?

When talking about the universal appeal of 3G network, one wonders, is 3G really for everyone? In my view, it proves useful to only those who understand the realms of technology, and prefer being informed twenty-four-seven. People, due to their busy schedules, prefer staying connected with their friends and family. Even though 3G isn't a cheap service to avail, people are using it to savor connectivity on the move. One can enjoy 3G network service on their smartphone with the help of a variety of plans that their providers offer. For every megabyte the user downloads or uploads, he's charged in accordance with the plan he has taken up. You know, where wireless technology such as Wi-Fi aren't available in many places, it is 3G networks that have an edge over all other wireless technologies, for they are available on the move. What's more, who knew you could make free calls abroad, thereby, saving a lot of money, all with the help of these wireless services?

In order to avail the service of 3G network, one must possess a device that is 3G compatible, in the first place. For example, the Apple iPhone 3G is created, keeping in mind the requirements of 3G network in a device. This device also has two cameras, where the front camera is meant for making video calls. As for the connectivity, your provider will provide you with a 3G sim or data card, for you to get connected to Internet anywhere, anytime, provided you are within the 3G network.

The increasing affluence and exposure of masses to technology, the third generation of mobile phones has long been surpassed by fourth and fifth generations. Don't believe me? You have the much, much successful iPhone 4G, followed by the iPhone 5G, release date of which is Spring, 2011, supposedly. The experience of using enhanced technology cannot be put to words. Instead, it's when you tip your hand at these full-fledged technological devices, that you understand what is 3G network and 4G network capable of. All in all, you might be missing something extremely interesting, if at all, you're yet to get a 3G network enabled device for yourself. Swear.