You have probably heard the term 4G on advertisements in regards to cell phone technology. But do you know what 4G is? The term 4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular Wireless standards. It is a successor to 3G and 2G families and their standards.
In 1981, technology served on a 1G service then moved to digital 2G transmission in 1992. This was quickly followed by 3G in 2002. The 3G network was a multi-media support that could spread transmission at 200 kbit/s. With 4G, it is expected to serve as an all IP packet-switched network with mobile ultra-broadband (gigabit speed) access and multi-carrier transmission. It is to also provide a comprehensive and secure all-IP based solution with ultra-broadband Internet access, gaming services and streamed multimedia.
Why the need for 4G? With consumers looking more and more to replicate their Internet experiences from wired broadband services while on the move to the success of smartphones, netbooks and tablet PCs and the sudden surge in data bandwidth usage on the wireless operator's access networks, wireless operators had to look into how they could meet all these needs. Their ideas included two prominent choices for 4G wireless access technology; the use of WiMAX and LTE technology What is WiMax and LTE? WiMax is backed by Clearwire, a firm whose majority owner is Sprint Nextel. It began testing services in Baltimore in 2008 and was set to expand this into major new markets in 2009. Sprint intended to have 80 cities covered by the end of 2010.
LTE, is backed mainly by Verizon. It was expected to be ready for testing in 2010 but not available for widespread use until 2010. LTE's backers hoped to overcome this disadvantage by offering faster speeds and producing cheaper equipment. Despite the competition, WiMAX and LTE have a lot of similarities. The radio access networks for both are based on OFDM with support for MIMO antennas. Both are "all-IP" networks in the core as well as access components, and both support speeds >50Mbps However, due to their origins and pedigrees being different their priorities also differ. With this, it is unlikely the two technologies will merge as they will go on complementing one another focusing on their respective areas of strength rather than worrying about the competition.
WiMax finds its strength and positions itself in regards to data applications. Its technology supports a higher bandwidth as well as an increased range of more than ~30km. Being data-centric means it works well for applications such as high-quality video streaming and therefore is expected to be used primarily by laptops and netbooks instead of smartphones. The downside to WiMAX is that it does not support high-quality voice and therefore it is often inferior to other networks.
LTE, on the other hand, has taken the "voice-centric" approach, where voice is still considered as the "killer-app" for cellular operators, LTE has placed a lot of importance on their voice-application and for example its system is designed to work on the 700 MHz spectrum to efficiently support voice applications across longer distances and with higher in-building penetration.
Who is ahead in the 4G game? Depends on how you look at it. The beauty of 4G is that customers in areas which have strong 4G coverage will be able to use it for a home broadband connection which doesn't require any cabling to their household. It can also be used for accessing the internet on the move without having to be in a wireless hotspot such as those offered by some coffee shops, airports and libraries. All in all, it seems that the consumer is ahead and the winner for now.
Source: http://www.hicow.com/wimax/3gpp-long-term-evolution/sprint-nextel-2019102.html