Difference between 3G and 4G : The arrival of 3G technology years ago greatly changed the way we connect and communicate with each other from anywhere in the globe.
What more now with the currently increasing fuzz about 4G technology? With this bright scenario in mind, let us try to understand the difference between 3G and 4G.
What is 3G
According to an article in PC Mag, the “G” in 3G and 4G “stands for a generation of mobile technology installed in phones and cellular networks.”
This so-called generation is what requires networks to make expensive upgrades and tech geeks to get a hold of the new technology in replacement of the old one that they still have.
Since 2003, 3G technology has been providing the United States with high-speed wireless data service for mobile networks and devices with a minimum consistent internet speed of 144Kbps.
As the 3G technology became more popular, technological mobile advancements finally made it possible for tech consumers to easily connect to the internet for multiple purposes and at varied efficient speeds.
Everything was made possible with the introduction to the use of 3G-enabled smartphones.
What is 4G
Since the 4G technology came about, the controversies relating to the previous 3G have been slowly subsiding.
The fuzz now is on 4G and 3G is becoming outdated.
This newer technology gave the impression to tech consumers that 4G-enabled smartphones can connect to the internet a whole lot faster than 3G-enabled ones.
However, that is not always the case. 4G actually has a wide array of other technologies classified under it and a lot of ways to utilize them.
These other technologies include HSPA+ 21/42, WiMax (which is no longer in use), and LTE (which stands for Long Term Evolution).
Among these other technologies only LTE qualified to be dubbed as a true 4G.
HSPA (or High Speed Packet Access) do not even qualify, with consumer reviews stating that the internet speed they got with it was not so much different to 3G.
Difference between 3G and 4G
The first and obvious difference between 3G and 4G is that 3G stands for “3rd Generation” while 4G is for “4th Generation”.
But no one really cares about that anymore. What everyone really cares about now is the difference in speed between these two technologies.
In 2014, PC Mag ran their annual Fastest Mobile Networks story. The event tested 3G and 4G networks in 30 cities in the US.
Verizon’s 4G LTE network was found to be the fastest, followed in particular order by T-Mobile LTE, AT&T LTE, T-Mobile HSPA+, Sprint LTE, AT&T HSPA, Verizon 3G, and Sprint 3G.
As of late, the 4G LTE network delivers the fastest mobile internet experience across countries.
With 4G LTE, tech consumers can do everything in the internet ten times faster than the previous 3G speed.