3G vs 4G - Difference and Comparison

[Saifullah Sani]

How much faster is 4G compared to 3G and what applications run better on 4G?
3G and 4G are standards for mobile communication. Standards specify how the airwaves must be used for transmitting information (voice and data). 3G (or 3rd Generation) was launched in Japan in 2001. As recently as mid-2010, the networks for most wireless carriers in the U.S. were 3G. 3G networks were a significant improvement over 2G networks, offering higher speeds for data transfer. The improvement that 4G offers over 3G is often less pronounced. Analysts use the analogy of standard vs Hi-Def TV to describe the difference between 3G and 4G.

Contents: 3G vs 4G

• 1 What is 4G?
• 2 4G Speed vs. 3G
  • 2.1 Speed Test Results
• 3 Design Principle and Applications
• 4 Relevance
• 5 Recent News
• 6 References

What is 4G?
The definition of 4G has changed over the years. Current commercially available technologies LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and WiMax claimed that they are sufficiently advanced from 3G and thus claimed the right to call their technology 4G. However, in October 2010, the global standards group International Telecommunication Union declared that after long study, it had determined which technologies truly qualified for its IMT-Advanced label i.e. 4G (fourth-generation). The target speed was at least 100 Mbps to qualify for the 4G label. Only two systems made the list: LTE-Advanced, an emerging version of LTE technology, and Wireless MAN-Advanced, the next version of WiMax, also called WiMax 2. Neither is commercially available yet.

But in December 2010, the standards body softened its stance. In a press release, the ITU stated:

As the most advanced technologies currently defined for global wireless mobile broadband communications, IMT-Advanced is considered as '4G,' although it is recognized that this term, while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed.
This opened the door for LTE, WiMax and HSPA+ to be designated 4G because these technologies can all deliver multiple megabits per second upstream and downstream, far more than most existing 3G networks.

4G Speed vs. 3G

How much faster is 4G compared to 3G? Unfortunately for consumers, the answer to this question is more nuanced than one would like. The speed of a 3G network depends upon how it is implemented. In the US, by 2010 Sprint and Verizon (both CDMA networks) had reached the limits of how fast they could make their 3G networks. Upgrading to 4G networks allowed them to offer data transmission speeds up to four times faster than their 3G networks. However, the 3G networks of GSM carriers AT&T and T-Mobile were designed such that there was room to upgrade 3G speeds. As of mid-2010, it is anticipated that when AT&T and T-Mobile upgrade their 3G networks, their speeds will become comparable to 4G from Sprint and Verizon.

Speed Test Results
Results from a speed test comparing Sprint's 4G and 3G networks (using a Samsung Epic 4G phone) and AT&T's 3G network (using a Dell Streak) show that Sprint 4G is considerably faster than both Sprint 3G and AT&T 3G. These test results were posted in October 2010.


Design Principle and Applications
Both 2G and 3G networks were designed primarily for voice communications rather than data. On the other hand, 4G is designed especially for data transmission rather than voice. So 4G offers faster access to data using mobile phones. For example, streaming video works better with 4G, with less stuttering and a higher resolution. Similarly, video conferencing and multi-player online games work better with the faster data transmission offered by 4G.


Relevance
MIT engineer Keith Winstein wrote an illuminating blog post about how the speed you ultimately experience on your mobile phone depends much more on other factors than 3G or 4G. In theory, newer technologies offer performance improvements. However, 3G and 4G refer to the communication protocol between the mobile handset and the cell phone tower. So it's only one piece of the puzzle. The throughput rate and browsing speed also depend upon factors such as:

• how many cell phone towers are in the vicinity
• how many users are sharing these towers
• the bandwidth available to to these cellphone towers to connect to the Internet or the carrier's network.
• Marketing 3G or 4G is easier for wireless carriers than promising (and providing) a minimum throughput rate for data transfer.

References
4G wireless outstripped by hype (The Associated Press)
Wikipedia: 3G
Wikipedia: 4G


3G vs 4G - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

 

[Major Sam]

Btw How come EDGE comes in 3G applications? its 2.5G if m not wrong.

 

[Luftwaffe]

I checked Zong website and their postpaid plans are crap, I mean really terrible compared to Ufone and Mobilink. I don't know if they are going to update their information or not if not than I am not switching to zong, though i do have Ufone and Warid already.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

4G would bring Pakistan's corporate communication to world standard , think Telecommunication work across borders and confrences and data share with great speed across world

 

[jay89]

Btw How come EDGE comes in 3G applications? its 2.5G if m not wrong.

Yeah u are right and this article is flawed. 3G max downstream is More than 100Mbps it should be around 150-200Mbps any thing above that is 4G/LTE/HSPA+.

 

[Al Bhatti]

South Korea is working on 5G as we speak and in 2-3 years time they plan to test it. It will be like downloading a whole movie in a couple of seconds

 

[Indus Falcon]

South Korea is working on 5G as we speak and in 2-3 years time they plan to test it. It will be like downloading a whole movie in a couple of seconds

IF I'm not mistaken, they are testing it now as we speak!

 

[Saifullah Sani]

Warid row over 4G LTE

While Warid Telecom is planning to launch 4G LTE (long-term evolution) to compete with the 3G/4G licence-holders, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority insists that the company under the law needs permission from the regulator for the introduction of new service.

Since Warid did not take part in the bidding for 3G and 4G spectra, PTA may turn down its request for permission to go for the launch of 4G (LTE) considering the interests of other cellular companies who bought the (3G/4G) licences for $1.12 billion.

“The existing licence of Warid is technology neutral but it does not mean that it is service neutral. All newly-launched services require PTA’s consent. For this, Warid will have to send in a proper request.

The PTA will look into such a request based on the licence conditions (assuring proper coverage, quality of service, enhanced monitoring requirements and commencement permissions), and in the best interest of the cellular industry, especially the winners of the 3G/4G spectrum auction,” a PTA official responded through email to a Dawn’s query.

A Warid official told Dawn that the company, according to its licence requirement, would notify to the PTA about the launch of 4G LTE since it (Warid) had enough spectrum available with it for the new technology.

“The cellular company’s licence is not “service neutral” and it will have to seek approval for new services,” PTA told Dawn on Monday.

PTA-Warid row over 4G LTE - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

 

[Saifullah Sani]

Zong to pay 3G and 4G licences fee in single tranche

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Fan Yunjun confirmed on Tuesday that Zong will pay $516 million licences fee for 3G and 4G spectra in single tranche to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Yunjun said, “This is a moment of pride as consumers will now have access to the most advanced telecom technology and this is our chance to prove ourselves as the ‘Indispensable Digital Life Partner for Life’ for every Pakistani.”

Yunjun avoided the question about tariff but guaranteed that Pakistan’s tariff would be cheapest in the world.

Zong is on cloud nine after becoming the only cellular service provider in Pakistan to own both 3G and 4G licences.

Even Zong congratulated fellow service providers for getting 3G licence officially.

Zong to pay 3G and 4G licences fee in single tranche | The News Tribe

 

[Al Bhatti]

IF I'm not mistaken, they are testing it now as we speak!

23 January 2014

South Korean 5G internet move to further increase download speeds

Wireless service will be capable of downloading full-length films in a second, science ministry says

South Korea’s already impressive internet speeds are about to pull even farther ahead of the rest of the world with plans to introduce a next-generation 5G wireless service capable of downloading full-length films in a second.

The country’s science ministry said on Thursday it would invest 1.6t won ($1.5bn) with local firms in the service, with a view to making it commercially available by the end of the decade.

The 5G network will enable users to download an 800-megabyte movie in one second, compared with 40 seconds on the current 4G network – already the fastest in the world.

That would mean passengers on high-speed trains would be able to access the internet even at speeds of 500kmh (310mph), compared with the current limit of 300kmh.

"Bullet trains around the world keep getting faster, with some in China running as fast as 500kmh and 600kmh," a ministry official, who declined to be named, told AFP in Seoul. "If we have the technology to allow fast internet access in these trains, it can open new opportunities for us globally.”

South Korea is determined to protect its position as a global leader in super-fast internet connections. More than 78% of South Korea's 50 million people use smartphones; among 18-24 year olds, the proportion rises to a staggering 97%.

Regular upgrades to the country’s mobile network have been instrumental in fuelling economic growth, starting with the 2G service in the 1990s through to the introduction of the 4G service in 2010.

"Countries in Europe, as well as China and the US are making aggressive efforts to develop 5G technology ... and we believe there will be fierce competition in this market in a few years," the science ministry said in a statement.

The ministry estimates the project will generate about 331t won in 5G-related mobile devices and infrastructure between 2020 and 2026, with a focus on new features such as ultra-HD and cutting-edge social networking services. The new network will generate a domestic telecom market worth 68t won, it said.

The ministry said it would develop 5G with expertise and investment from mobile carriers and handset makers such as LG and Samsung, the world’s biggest maker of smartphones.

While South Korea, led by Samsung, dominates the global mobile device market with a 30% stake, its share of the telecom infrastructure market is just 4.4%. The ministry said it hoped increase that share to one-fifth by the end of the decade. Rivals such as the Chinese firm Huawei, which also plans to roll out a 5G service by 2020, have much bigger shares of the telecom infrastructure market.

The 5G service will be tested on social networking services as early as next year before expanding to include 3D images and cloud services in 2017, the ministry said. The full range of services will be tested at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in 2018.


In a test of 5G technology last year, Samsung said it had successfully sent and received data over a distance of two kilometres at a download speed of one gigabit per second.

South Korean 5G internet move to further increase download speeds | Technology | theguardian.com

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Mar 8, 2014

A Look Into the Future: 5G Network Speeds and When They’ll Arrive

Mobile networks constantly evolve. In the 1980s, when wireless technology began to go mainstream, the 1G (first generation) analog networks supported the bulky, brick-like mobile phones from that era. The 90s saw the introduction of 2G digital networks, when Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) moved mobile phones beyond voice transmission into data and text messaging. Around 2001, third generation (3G) devices appeared, first in Japan, and then in the US, offering the high-speed data transfer and Internet connection used in the earliest smartphones. The first 4G LTE and WiMAX networks appeared in 2011.

Given the natural decade-long development cycle, fifth generation (5G) networks are due around 2021. But South Korea, the world’s most enthusiastic adaptor of mobile technology, is pushing the envelope and plans to roll out a 5G network as early as 2017, with full availability by 2020. What does this technological push mean for savvy smartphone users?

What is a 5G Network?

Truthfully, no one really knows at this point because no standards have been formalized. The big players are focused on increasing both coverage and data speeds. Mobile communication occupies a relatively small frequency spectrum, between 600 MHz and 3 GHz, which means that 5G technology needs to improve the efficiency of the usable spectrum. Right now, the most promising advance is multiple input multiple output (MiMo) technology, which uses multiple small antennae to service each individual data stream. Samsung successfully tested advanced MiMo antennae with data speeds at 1 gigabyte per second in May, 2013.

Who Is Developing 5G Networks?

South Korea recently announced a $1.5 billion investment in 5G infrastructure upgrades, and intends to roll out a limited trial network by 2017, with full availability by 2020. South Korea is an ideal testing ground for mobile technology, given its dense, compact geography and mobile phone usage: Nearly 80 percent of the general population – including 97.7 percent of 18-24 year olds — use smartphones. The United States, Japan, and the EU are also testing 5G technology, but South Korea’s investment and commitment dwarfs other efforts.

How Fast is 5G Technology?

In Seoul, South Korea, home of the fastest Internet speeds in the world, you can download an 800-megabyte movie in just 40 seconds on their advanced 4G networks. In comparison, if T-Mobile adopted 5G technology in the US, for example, that time would decrease to a jaw-dropping one second for an entire movie download. In addition, 5G networks would allow users to access the Internet even while traveling at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour, almost double current capabilities.

How Much Will 5G Networks Cost?

It’s impossible to know yet how 5G technology will affect mobile phone and data rates, but South Korea’s Minister of Engineering, Science and Technology estimates that private companies will spend over $300 billion in 5G infrastructure and technology over the coming decade to take 5G worldwide, and competition will be fierce. Data prices have continuously fallen over the past decade, from about 46 cents per megabyte in 2008 to between 2 and 3 cents currently. Industry watchers say that a successful 5G network would provide 50 gigabytes of data per person per month.

What Will Be Different?

Right now, there are no 5G phones and devices to use the new technology, although manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and HTC are experimenting with new designs. No one knows for sure what features a 5G phone or device will have. In addition, companies like Netflix will have to decide whether they want to make their data available at 5G speeds, so there are a lot of variables affecting the future of mobile technology.

While the specifics are unclear, the 5G concept is mind-boggling and complex. Once implemented worldwide, mobile industry experts say the network will have space for over 7 trillion connected devices in the coming decade—and each individual will have at least 10 connections, including smartphones, tablets and smart appliances. The 2G network focused on voice, 3G on data, and 4G on video; the new 5G network will be all about connections.

A Look Into the Future: 5G Network Speeds and When They'll Arrive

 

[surya kiran]

2g, 3g and all other gs and their operations depends on the market maturity. While speed is a well known facet, it need not be seen only as a data transfer thing. If the market is not mature and the target is acquisition, one can handle more number of users with the higher gs as compared to lower gs.

 

[Saifullah Sani]

ZonG Wins the Most Coveted 3G and 4G Licenses

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority awards Pakistan’s 1st and the only 4G license to ZonG after a successful auction process Zong has now become the only 3G and 4G operator in Pakistan. Thriving on this success the company will soon offer a complete new array of first of its kind services to its distinguished customers.

ZonG’s parent company, China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC) officially launched its 4G services in December 2013. By March 31st 2014 the company had 781.08 million total customers making it the largest operator across the globe. CMCC’s successes speak for itself, today it has 2.79 million 4G customers & almost 225 million 3G subscribers. Till date CMCC has more than 252,000 4G sites across China and is targeting more than 500,000 4G sites by end of this year which makes CMCC the largest 4G operator in the world. At the same time, CMCC is also a giant within the handset distribution channel of over 200 million handsets sold to end customers on a yearly basis, out of which 50% are 4G handsets.
Expressing his delight on this occasion, Dr. Fan Yunjun, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ZonG said, “I would like to congratulate the Government of Pakistan & PTA for making the bidding process extremely transparent and fair, and also acknowledge the entire ZonG team who is now a part of history, as their hard work and determination has finally paid off. China has a long term commitment to people of Pakistan and Zong is committed to service excellence and believes in bringing the best technology with the virtue of the world’s largest 3G and 4G operator.” This is a moment of pride as the consumer will now have access to the most advanced telecom technology and this is our chance to prove ourselves as the “Indispensable Digital Life Partner for Life” for every Pakistani.

Adding to the above statement, Dr. Zhao Peng, Chief Commercial Officer, ZonG said, “We believe in continuous progress and innovation, which in turn means better services and facility for our esteemed customers. This agreement with PTA for the 3G & 4G licenses is just another example of our dedication towards providing better and efficient services to our subscribers. Through such endeavors we show our commitment towards taking the telecom services in Pakistan to the next generation.”

This is the beginning of a new era in mobile internet which will allow us to experience extremely fast download speeds. The company has been taking giant leaps in the competitive market of telecom services by introducing customer centric services for different segments of mobile phone users along with expanding its network at an exponential rate. As the fastest growing cellular company in the industry, ZonG remains the telecom operator of choice in Pakistan.

See more at: ZonG Wins the Most Coveted 3G and 4G Licenses | News Pakistan

 

[forcetrip]

 

[Signalian]

Btw How come EDGE comes in 3G applications? its 2.5G if m not wrong.

Sorry for opening an old thread.

2.5G is GPRS.

2.75G is EDGE.

EDGE (2.75G) comes in 3G applications because it comes under 3G-PP standardization, even though its based on GSM (2G).