4G: the new mobile technology

4G has been becoming the new buzz word and is gaining popularity nowadays in the progressive mobile world technology. It was also highlighted in the recently concluded 2011 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

4G and Mobile Communications

In basic principle, 4G wireless or the fourth generation of mobile communications network is the successor to 3G. It promises to deliver high speed service and enhanced coverage: that is, 10 times faster than that of current 3G’s speed. As 4G technology could provide quicker mobile internet, one would be able to view videos, online games, and a faster social networking become a reality. It could, in a way, help make communication better, and be able to reach out to more people in remote places.



HTC EVO 4G

Currently, however, the availability of 4G is limited. The ones that networks currently call as “4G” are not full-fledged 4Gs. There are only two types of what we could call true 4G tech (which were both determined by International Telecommunication Union (ITU): the Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced) and the WiMAX Release 2. Both are out in the market but are not yet deployed on a large – scale basis. Some of the provider of 4G high-speed service are Sprint, Verizon Wireles, and T-mobile.

What we have now are just later versions of 3G and is more appropriately be called 3.5G or 3.75G. These are just what we call marketing stunts of wireless networks that vie with one another for the attention of customers and prove that their 4G package is much better than any other.

 

Samsung Epic 4G



Utilizing 4G and 4G Phones

Of course, with this latest innovation, there are a number of phones that utilizes the 4G technology for you to fully realize the high – speed settings and improved coverage: Some of these are available in the market are:

1.     HTC EVO 4G – the first phone to run on Sprint's 4G WiMax network. Download speeds is up to 10 times faster than the usual 3G network.

2.     Samsung Epic 4G – is the only one of the line of Samsung’s Galaxy S line that support Sprint's high-speed 4G network

These phones, if 4G is not available, could automatically detect 3G system and utilize it seamlessly just like any other 3G phones.