4G Technnology

In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications standards. It is a successor of the third generation (3G) standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadband Internet access, for example to laptops with USB wireless modems, to smartphones, and to other mobile devices. Though it first became available in the US in 2009, no specific technologies were officially designated as 4G until 2011. Despite this, many devices were labeled as "4G" even though they did not meet the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) standards for the technology. The main difference between it and previous standards is a big increase in data transfer speeds and the types of media people can access with it. In March 2008, the International Telecommunications Union-Radio communications sector (ITU-R) specified a set of requirements for 4G standards, named the International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) specification, setting peak speed requirements for 4G service at 100 megabits per second (Mbit/s) for high mobility communication (such as from trains and cars) and 1 gigabit per second (Gbit/s) for low mobility communication (such as pedestrians and stationary users). Since the above mentioned first-release versions of Mobile WiMAX and LTE support much less than 1 Gbit/s peak bit rate, they are not fully IMT-Advanced compliant, but are often branded 4G by service providers. Finally, the term "generation" used to name successive evolutions of radio networks in general is arbitrary. There are several interpretations of it.

Features
The general features for 4G mobile technology are laid out in International Mobile Telecommunication-Advanced (IMT-A) standards written by the ITU. According to IMT-A, 4G mobile devices must be IP-based and able to provide data speeds of up to 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) when the device is being used while moving and up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) when stationary. All devices must also be able to be used for digital voice and rich media, which includes things like web pages with streaming videos or expandable banners. Additionally, they have to provide certain types of security for the transmissions. There are also a number of technical specifications, including things like the wireless standard, radio interface, and frequency spectrum used. As of 2011, there were only two technologies officially designated as 4G mobile: LTE-Advanced and WiMax Release 2. Though devices using these technologies can theoretically reach the data speeds and functionality requirements set out by the ITU, the actual function varies according to the network coverage, infrastructure, and location.

Difference between 3G and 4G

The main difference between 4G mobile technology and the previous standard, 3G technology, in terms of end usage is the data transfer speeds provided. This means that users can access much more sophisticated data that requires a lot of bandwidth very quickly. Depending on the service provider, however, 4G mobile devices may be limited to specific zones for making phone calls that are generally smaller than the areas covered by 3G. This means that people trying to make a call would have their call dropped if they went outside the covered area. Some 4G phones also have much shorter battery life than most 3G phones.

Advantages of 4G:

Quickly download files over a wireless network Extremely high voice quality Easily access Internet, IM, Social Networks, streaming media, video calling, etc. Higher bandwidth WiMAX, LTE, and HSPA+ are all versions of 4G, WiMAX is used by Sprint, LTE is used by Verizon and AT&T, HSPA+ is used by AT&T and TMobile 4G is 10 times faster than 3G Cellular providers have the opportunity to offer data access to a wide variety of devices Provides mobility More Flexible More Reliable Easier to Standardize Offers Affordability

Disadvantages of 4G:

New frequencies means new components in cell towers. Higher data prices for consumers Consumer is forced to buy a new device to support the 4G It is impossible to make your current equipment compatible with the 4G network 4G is only currently available in certain cities within the United States. Obtaining information from everday people illegally becomes easier Involves the possibility of some interference though not much Capable of being attacked (jamming frequencies) Invasion of privacy increased