|
What is the difference between 4G and 4G LTE?
|
| bet | 2/4 | | Sana | 21.05.2024 | | Hajmi | 266,74 Kb. | | #247908 |
Bog'liq DKLWhat is the difference between 4G and 4G LTE?
The difference between 4G and 4G LTE is all about marketing and the history of the 4G specification. LTE (Long Term Evolution) was originally developed to make the transition for carriers easier from 3G to 4G.
4G was first defined by the ITU in 2008, but its speeds and technical specifications were not immediately achievable for mobile networks or mobile devices. As an interim step up from 3G, LTE provides more bandwidth than 3G, without achieving the full bandwidth network speed minimum of 100 Mbps that 4G promises.
The term LTE is often used as part of marketing pitches and does not specify or imply a specific speed. Depending on the carrier, speeds range from 20 Mbps to 100 Mbps. 4G LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), however, is a specific term that is defined as enabling 100 Mbps. In effect, it is 4G, with no technical difference from it.
History of 4G
The earliest phases of what became known as 4G started in 2008 as the International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) specification.
In 2008, no mobile network or cellular carrier was able to achieve the 100 Mbps speed that 4G specified, though there were competing approaches, including LTE and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), which aimed to bridge the gap between 3G and 4G.
Sprint was among the principal backers of WiMAX, while Verizon pushed LTE. A key difference between WiMAX and LTE is that WiMAX did not make use of OFDM, which became a foundational element of all production 4G deployments over time. By 2011, Sprint changed course and began to support LTE across its network, and WiMAX began to disappear.
LTE has steadily increased in speed and performance since 2011, with the 4G LTE-A technology providing cellular networks with the full 100 Mbps of network performance defined by the original IMT-Advanced specification.
The development and rollout of 4G's successor, 5G, is a multiyear process. As was the case with each prior generation, it takes multiple years to roll out a new generation of technology. The 5G rollout involves the use of new carrier technology and antennas, as well as mobile devices that support the new standard. All those efforts will take time to mature. Eventually at a date to be determined -- as was the case with 1G, 2G and 3G -- 4G networks will disappear in favor of the succeeding generations.
|
| |
