4G Mobile Technology Explained

There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about 4G mobile phones and the technology behind them. Here we take a quick look at the basics and what we will realistically see in the way of improvements to our mobile internet experience.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has allowed the company behind Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, to use its existing bandwidth to launch fourth-generation (4G) mobile services.

The move means 4G, which allows much faster downloads, could launch in the UK earlier than previously planned.

But what will 4G services mean for you and your business?

One of the principal differences between 4G and 3G models is the speed at which they can download files from the internet. A typical 3G phone can connect to the internet at a maximum speed of up to 7.2Mbps, a whereas a 4G phone will be able to do so at up to 300Mbps.

Faster mobile internet connectivity will also bring an incredibly smooth browsing experience to 4G phones, thus calling time once and all on the days of web pages failing to load at peak usage times. 

Mobile phones will never completely replace a powerful work/home computer, but they will certainly replace home phones, physical phone lines and may be home broadband connections. If mobile phones can provide speeds of up to 300Mbpps, then a fixed line connection of 24Mbps at home will seem slightly anemic.

Sources: BBC News, USwitch.com