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Computer Support For Individuals And Small Business |
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10/12/10 |
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What Is The Difference Between 4G and 3G? |
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Been wondering what the difference between 4G and 3G is? As you may know, the “G” stands for “generation.” In relation to cellular phone wireless standards, “4G” refers to fourth generation and “3G” to third generation.
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Was there a 1G and 2G? Yes. 2G refers to the 1991-2 switch to digital from the original analog standard (1G, so named after the introduction of 2G) which originated in 1981. Beginning at about 10 - 20 Kbps (kilobits per second) 2G eventually evolved to over 1Mbps (megabits per second).
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3G was launched in 2001. From a user perspective, the main improvement over 2G was the speed with which data could be transmitted allowing for multi-media support. It also allowed expanded network capacity and services. The original 3G standard increased speeds to a range of 144 Kbps to 2+ Mbps. Through various technological enhancements the speed has increased to over 14 Mbps.
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4G provides even faster speeds and higher quality real-time multimedia. The launch of 4G networks has begun, though it will be a few years before it is fully built out. 4G aspires to speeds as high as 100 Mbps. For a point of reference, the typical home broadband speed is around 4 Mbps, though faster speeds are available in many areas.
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Is there a 5G? Currently, there is no actual standard, but there is research which will lead to a greatly expanded capacity in 8 - 10 years.
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This very briefly summarizes the evolution of the “generations” as defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Each of these involves specific technical requirements and is complicated by a bewildering array of interrelated systems and standards.
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