WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 3G, 4G AND LTE



Most of us make use of smart phones with certain network labels such as 2G, WCDMA, GSM, 3G,4G and LTE. Here, i will be talking mainly about the technology behind these network types and what they mean. For the scope of the topic i will focus only on 3G, 4G and LTE. There is a bask in euphoria of 4G/LTE phones or Sims, in fact there is a current massive demand for Sim upgrade to 4G/LTE.

The “G” stands for generation, e.g 4G means fourth Generation, since it is the fourth generation of mobile data technology, LTE stands for “Long Term Evolution” and applies more generally to the idea of improving wireless broadband speeds to meet increasing demand.



2G:

2G is a wireless network protocol that provides gateway for calls, basic text message (sms), and small amounts of data over a protocol called MMS. Since this network can only transmit small amount of data, it makes it a relatively slow network to surf with. This is the reason why you experience a slower connectivity whenever your smart phone shows 2G/EDGE while browsing.

3G

3G is a more advanced network than the 2G network, the 3G connectivity makes it possible for a number of larger data formats much more accessible, including standard HTML pages, videos, and music. Here, the speed is still pretty slow, and mostly requires pages and data specially formatted for this slower wireless connection. By 2G standards, the new protocol was speedy, but still didn’t come anywhere close to replacing a home broadband connection.

4G

The 4G explanation is a tricky one, it is actually a futuristic network technology that is hopped to be attained but not yet attained in the real sense. There is a set standard in terms of speed and connectivity to be attained as laid by ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union) before a 4G network can be said to be attained. This standard in terms of speed and connection states that ,for mobile use, including smart phones and tablets, connection speeds need to have a peak of at least 100 megabits per second 100mb/s, and for more stationary uses such as mobile hotspots, at least 1 gigabit per second 1gb/s. No network has actually achieved this thus far, but with the significant improvement on later 3G networks (3.5G and 3.75G), they became classified as 4G networks since they were able to achieve a sizable speed and connection even though they did not meet the 100mb/s and 1gb/s peak standards that will qualify a network to be a 4G network.

LTE



LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. This is not a network technology per say but the path followed to achieve 4G speeds. As it stands, most of the time when your phone displays the “4G” symbol in the upper right corner, it doesn’t really mean it.


Lastly, as you enjoy the speed of the near 4G network, try to enjoy buying of more data as your data volume gets exhausted on time.
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curled from http://thegeeks88..com.ng/

Nice writeup.

lofty900:
Nice writeup.

Thanks, people just rush for 4G network without really knowing anything about it

No wonder my 3G is even faster than 4G

grevotech:
No wonder my 3G is even faster than 4G

Telling you that a network is 4G is actually a marketing strategy by telcos

bhouze:

Telling you that a network is 4G is actually a marketing strategy by telcos

Total crap