Loading The Future - The Journey From 3G to 4G

March 12, 2009

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We’ve only just begun to use our new “Faster” 3G wireless networks and already the attention has moved to the next big thing . . . 4G.  So what’s the rush and all the hype about?  Speed!  The runaway success of smart phones and their data consuming applications, video, streaming, downloads, etc has consumer advocates and hardware manufactures all pushing for something bigger, faster, and stronger than the current 3G network infrastructure can reliability offer.  We want pages to pop and apps to fly.  And somehow, 3G just doesn’t live up to the hype.  Users have grown tired of waiting for their apps and pages to load . . .

The next generation wireless data network is widely referred to as “4G” but there is more than one technology competing to be the wireless network of the future.  For the most part, the battle is between LTE (Long Term Evolution) favored by Sprint/Clearwire and WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) championed by Verizon.  Which technology wins out isn’t really that important to consumers.  What is important is that 4G become a standard that multiple carriers will adopt, making it easier for equipment manufacturers to produce devices which operate on multiple carrier networks.

If all goes well, we’ll have wireless networks which blaze at speeds of up to 100Mbps.   But we would honestly be happy with just a fraction of the promised rate if networks could simply deliver consistent and reliable speeds.

LTE in particular shows promise in being easily embedded into nearly any device which is Internet capable - phones, laptops, netbooks, consumer appliances.  Many see 4G as the start of a connected revolution where everything from your car to your tennis shoes are constantly connected and passing data.   It is all likely to boil down to cost, capacity, and speed.  If it isn’t fast and cheap, it will just end up as another fancy feature for a new iPhone.  But if carriers can manage to pull out a cost effective alternative to current broadband solutions, our entire communications environment (and what gets connected) could literally be transformed.

Clearwire and Sprint plan to launch WiMax service in Las Vegas and Atlanta as early as this summer and have an ambitious roll-out plan.  Verizon intends to catch up with its own deployments of LTE later this year.  WiMax may have the early edge, but a flotilla of carriers and equipment manufacturers are lining up behind LTE as well.

Widespread deployment is still years away, and will be slowed by the need to create dual mode products capable of accessing both 3G and 4G networks until 4G is fully deployed nationwide.  But, for once, a new technology actually seems to be gaining traction early and will likely meet or exceed its projected market acceptance.

The future is on the way, but still loading . . . loading . . . loading . . .

Written by Todd · Filed Under Business, Featured, Internet, Mobile, Telecom, WiFi 

Comments

2 Responses to “Loading The Future - The Journey From 3G to 4G”

  1. Eileen on March 13th, 2009 4:53 pm

    You make understanding the complexity of WiMax/LTE/4G/3G so simple. Thanks for this concise summary of a confusing topic! I heart iTodd ;-P

  2. Telecom Monthly - April Newsletter: Springing Forward | Telecom Monthly - Telecom News, VoIP, SIP Trunking, Mobile, IP Telephony, SIP Phone, VoIP Softswitch on April 6th, 2009 2:37 pm

    [...] Loading The Future - The Journey From 3G to 4G [...]

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