www.WirelessFederation.com/news: After the launch of 3G in almost every corner of the world, the mobile companies, subscribers and analysts have started talking about the generation ahead- 4G. The companies are promising faster speeds and the ecstasy of being the first one to use a new ellipsis. Sprint Nextel Corp. is the first carrier to release its first 4G phone, the EVO, this week. 25 to 30 cities will receive Sprint’s 4G service. MetroPCS Communications Inc. is also scheduled to introduce its first 4G phone around the same time.
For consumers, 4G means, in the ideal case, faster access to data but broadly speaking; it’s a new way to use the airwaves, designed from the start for the transmission of data rather than phone calls. Other than that, it’s difficult to point to things 4G can do that 3G phones can’t. According to Matt Carter, president of Sprint’s 4G divisions, the upgrade to 4G is more likely to enhance the things one can already do with 3G and one should view it as the difference between watching regular TV and high-definition TV.
Another aspect to the point is that the introduction of 3G started in earnest about five years ago, but it isn’t complete and the improvement from 3G to 4G is not as dramatic as the step from 2G to 3G, which for the first time made real Web browsing, video and music downloads practical on phones.
AT&T and T-Mobile are using different 3G technology and so they can upgrade their 3G networks. Verizon and Sprint have maxed out their 3G speeds so taking the step to 4G is natural for them, especially when they have new chunks of the radio spectrum that they want to take advantage of.
There are certain advantages of 4G which take the 3G technology a step ahead. 4G is faster for quick back-and-forth communications something which is not noticed when surfing the Web or doing e-mail. 4G will work better for multiplayer gaming, where split-second timing is important and even phone calls could benefit from shorter audio delays.
