What does 4G mean and what’s next?
"4G" is advertised by many mobile phone providers and is an indicator of how fast the connection speeds are on mobile phones and tablets. 4G actually stands for 4th generation cellular network hardware. Implementing 4G has been a revolutionary mark for providers. The hardware and software required to obtain speeds that should be able to reach as high as 20 mb/s when completely implemented. The technology for the speeds varies based on which provider you ask.
The most common term is LTE, which stands for Long Term Evolution. Another software, known as WiMax, which stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is comparable to LTE and also enhances speeds that rival common Internet Providers as it compares to current Wi-Fi speeds. You may also hear about HSPA+, which stands for High-Speed Packet Access, and is really a glorified improvement to 3G connections under the mask of 4G speeds but has potential to reach the same speeds when the full hardware is rolled out by providers.
With all these advances technological terms you really probably only want to know what the best deal for your money is and where you can get the fastest speeds. Coverage for 4G networks is limited by provider and typically only available in larger cities, although it is expanding and expected to reach more areas as its popularity increases.
Since the rage is all about 4G you may be wondering what comes after this. Well, technically it will be 5G but really shouldn't be a concern at the moment. 4G still needs to expand to cover more areas and customers and once coverage is expanded it needs to be perfected to allow devices to get optimal speeds. It still has a long way to go before it can be utilized by the mainstream mobile phone user, but has significant potential to replace primary internet providers.
