4 G
4 G
4G is the fourth generation of mobile phone technology. It follows on from 3G (third generation) and 2G (second generation) mobile technology.
To put it simply, 4G is defined as the fourth generation of mobile technology which follows the 2G and 3G networks that came before it. It is also sometimes referred to as 4G LTE, but this is not technically correct as LTE is only a single type of 4G. It is currently the most advanced technology thats adopted by the majority of mobile network service providers.
2G technology launched in the 1990s and made it possible to make digital phone calls and send texts. Then 3G came along in 2003 and made it possible to browse web pages, make video calls and download music and video on the move.
4G technology builds upon what 3G offers but does everything at a much faster speed.
Of course, theres now 5G too, which follows the same pattern. It is the fifth generation and it is faster still.
What are the benefits of 4G?
- Faster speeds
Standard 4G (or 4G LTE) is around five to seven times faster than 3G, offering theoretical speeds of up to around 150Mbps. That equates to maximum potential speeds of around 80Mbps in the real world.
- Lower latency
Download speeds arent the only thing that has been improved, because 4G also has a better response time than 3G – due to lower latency. This means that a device connected to a 4G mobile network will get a quicker response to a request than the same device connected to a 3G mobile network.
The improved latency times, reduced from 80 milliseconds (3G) to around 45 milliseconds (4G), may not seem that significant on paper. However, they can make a significant difference when playing online games and streaming live video. Find out more about the benefits of 4G for gaming.
On 5G, latency is lowered further still, coming in at around 21-26ms based on Ookla data from late 2019, and likely to further decrease as 5G infrastructure improves
- Crystal clear voice calls
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is similar to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which use voice apps such as Skype to support voice calls over the internet. Effectively, VoLTE rides on the back of the 4G network and brings crystal clear voice calls and video chat to your 4G mobile phone.
Another benefit is that it allows you to call and text when you only have a 4G connection, where previously you wouldn’t have been able to.
VoLTE is now available from Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, iD Mobile, Sky Mobile and BT Mobile, but only on certain handsets. Check out our full VoLTE guide for detailed information on availability.
Difference between 3G and 4G Technology