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] may well be going live with a 4G mobile network before the end of the year I thought it might be useful to explain what 4G really is.
Connectivity on the move.
When mobile phones were first introduced there was no texting 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 later versions of 2G reaching speeds of about 56kb/s - about the same as my last dial-up modem - just before I jumped on the broadband bandwagon.
Mobile Communications Accelerates
Around 2001 a leap in speed was achieved by the introduction of 3rd Generation technologies, [3G] which, at its introduction, offered a speed some four times faster than 2G - around 200kb/s [0.2Mb/s] and constant evolution of the technology saw maximum speeds increase to a theoretical 7.2Mb/s, via HSDPA - although to stand any change of reaching this speed you need to be in an area with sufficient cover, with few users and to be stationary.
Now 4th Generation technologies are being rolled out around the world and phones and tablets are being made available that can take advantage of this new technology.
But what is it?
4G [4th Generation Mobile Technology] is a set of standards that defines the requirements of a 4G network and the bar is set high. The current standard defines a 4G network as one that provides 100Mb/s for users on the move [a speed that only a few years ago was the standard for wired networks around offices] and which delivers 1Gb/s to a stationary location or one moving at a slow speed, pedestrians for example, although the speeds actually achieved will be determined by so many variables that, like all speed promises, it's likely that the realistic speed will be a fair bit lower.
However, this is still a significant leap in connection speed, one which could see mobile connectivity leapfrog the speeds provided by a fixed line service - unless your fixed line happens to come down by Fibre Optics.
It is worth noting that the UK is behind the curve on 4G, unusual for a country that, for so long, lead the way - Korea introduced the first 4G network in 2006 and Scandinavia follows suit in 2009 and that 4G networks may also use names such as WiMax and LTE [Long term evolution].
As always, I am always on the look out for ways to help my clients be more effective and 4G may just be a valuable addition to your mobile data access so I'll post more here as the news becomes available.
However, if you can't wait until the end of the year and need help now with regards to mobile data, IT solutions or your online marketing then drop me a line to andy@apsolutions.biz or give me a call on 01793 745305
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