4G Broadband
4G broadband is set to revolutionise the mobile broadband with the ability to offer all of the flexibility of currently 3G mobile broadband services but speeds in excess of the fastest fixed broadband services currently available in the UK. At the time of writing 4G broadband has been tested by O2 in the UK and is already available in some other countries. Whilst 3g broadband growth has been strong it has been blighted by speed issues which 4G broadband looks set to resolve.
4G Mobile Broadband
The term 4G is a term that is being heard more and more, and it is short for Fourth Generation. This is a technology that is considered to be the next complete advancement in communication on a wireless basis. For 4G mobile broadband this will mean an advance in the technology currently used for the 3G network by mobile broadband service providers to allow for much faster data transfer and for a far greater area of coverage than is possible with the current 3G equipment that is being used. Historically every new generation of mobile network has required a complete replacement of technology, with second generation totally replacing the handsets and networks of its first generation predecessor and similarly third generation has required a complete replacement of second generation technology. This will mean that it will not be logical to incrementally evolve the fourth generation or 4G mobile broadband networks from the present 3G equipment.
The international telecommunications regulatory and standardization body has set a rough timescale of between 2012 and 2015 for 4G mobile broadband networks to be rolled out commercially. The much higher levels of congestion that will occur even as the current 3G network evolves is the reason why it is essential for the current network to be upgraded to 4G mobile broadband and the reason for the dates predicted for the 4G mobile broadband to be deployed.
The objectives currently laid out for 4G broadband
There has currently been no formally set definition of what 4G broadband is, although there have been certain projected objectives made as to what 4G broadband will be. The following objectives for 4G broadband have been created:
- 4G mobile broadband will be capable of speeds between 100Mbps and 1Gbps available in both outdoor and indoor environments.
- 4G broadband will be fully IP-based over a fully integrated system.
- Both the best quality of service and the highest levels of security will be offered over 4G broadband networks.
Many companies often use the term 4G mobile broadband to describe the technologies they are currently using, although this suggestion is often based around their own distorted definition of what 4G mobile broadband technology actually is, with the various early launches and trials of WiMAX technology as an example.
Other companies often refer to new prototype systems as being 4G mobile broadband. At present it is simply the fact that until 4G mobile broadband and a general standard or even standards for 4G mobile broadband are accurately defined no company that provides wireless broadband solutions can say that it uses a 4G mobile broadband network with any certainty.
Until an international standard has been put in place any company that uses a technology that could be considered to be 4G mobile broadband, even if it may eventually become a recognized 4G mobile broadband technology, will have to wait for the 4G mobile broadband standards to be put in place. The key problem at the moment for 4G mobile broadband is that as more and more statements are issued from companies saying that they are already using 4G mobile broadband technology the more confusing it is becoming for investors and analysts alike.
The main competitors for 4G mobile broadband: WiMAX vs LTE
The fight between operators and equipment vendors over technology and marketing has begun as 4G broadband draws ever closer. LTE and WiMAX are currently the two main technology contenders in the 4G mobile broadband marketplace and at the moment opinion over which of these two battling technologies will get the highest market share are currently divided. The spectrum bands supported by both of these technologies are almost the same as is the underlying architecture, which makes both technologies ideal for 4G mobile broadband
Whether one of these technologies will become the dominant 4G mobile broadband market leader or whether there is currently scope for a combined standard using both LTE and WiMAX for 4G mobile broadband is currently the key question. Industry standards must be put in place for 4G mobile broadband even if the implementation of 4G mobile broadband is years away and in order to gain an idea of which of these 4G mobile broadband technologies will offer the greatest benefits there are key areas that can be looked at, a number of which have been outlined below. The main areas to be considered are as follows:
- A number of areas must be compared and evaluated rather than just providing facts and descriptions of the 4G mobile broadband technologies.
- The scope of coverage of 4G mobile broadband must be considered, and this includes: Operators, vendors, the market, spectrum and standards.
- From the information gained in the two previous areas, consideration needs to be given as to which is more likely to be successful in the marketplace out of the two 4G mobile broadband technology options.
For cellular operators recent research found that the best 4G mobile broadband network option to implement would be LTE as it would provide facilities like being applicable across the globe, being easier to evolve from their current networks to 4G mobile broadband, and having full support of all spectrum bands. Alternatively the new regulatory changes mean that the use of WiMAX for 4G broadband has just become favourable, although these changes will only be of benefit to operators who acquire new spectrum for their 4G mobile broadband networks.
