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Pipeline Publishing, Volume 7, Issue 10

	This Month's Issue:
	Unlocking Next Gen Networks

Demystifying 4G

By Jesse Cryderman

4G, the fourth generation of cellular standards, has promised to deliver broadband speeds into the hands of mobile users around the world. Technical stats aside, ask anyone on the street whether 4G is faster than 3G, and the numeral prefix alone guarantees their answer will be 4G. But how much faster? Let’s do a thought experiment:

Think about the last time you tried to watch a video stream on your mobile device over your cellular network. Let me guess: jerky, pixelated, and lots of time spent pre-buffering? This is the experience that is typical for most users. Sometimes the buffering time alone for a 30-minute, low-quality video can reach five minutes. Now imagine downloading an entire 4-gig HD-quality movie to your cellphone in five minutes; or glitch-free live video conferencing a dinner date while simultaneously checking the internet for information about a restaurant and making a reservation. This is what is capable with network speeds of 100 Mbits/sec (Mbps)—the true definition of 4G by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

But carriers report their maximum theoretical “4G” network speeds are anywhere from 20 Mbps to 50 Mbps, and real-world tests reveal drastically lower results. A cursory search on DSLReports.com or Speedtest.net shows that real-world speeds top out at about 10-12 Mbps, and often times are much lower. That means consumers are, at best, receiving 12% of the 4G experience as promised by the ITU definition. Even though ITU has permitted networks whose evolution will reach the 4G standard to market themselves as 4G, labeling current next-gen networks “4G” is like calling a middle-school Little League pitcher a Cy Young candidate.

So who has 4G and what exactly is 4G? It’s crucial to separate the technical as well as real-world definitions of 4G from the myriad marketing messages in order to have a complete understanding of next-gen networks.

Labeling current next-gen networks “4G” is like calling a middle-school Little League pitcher a Cy Young candidate.

Let’s start by taking a look at the technologies in the marketplace that float under the moniker “4G.”

HSPA+:

HSPA+ stands for “Evolved High-Speed Packet Access.” Unlike LTE and WiMAX, HSPA+ is a CDMA technology; it is the final evolution of 3G networks. Also unlike LTE and WiMAX, HSPA+ can natively communicate with legacy 3G networks. In many ways, HSPA+ is a stop-gap “4G” solution, because it requires less capital outlay than LTE and can immediately deliver much faster speeds to mobile users than 3G. It also means that current 3G devices can benefit from the faster HSPA+ network, a key difference that can’t be understated.

In the U.S., both T-Mobile (who advertises as “America’s Largest 4G Network”), and AT&T (who claims “America’s Fastest Mobile Broadband Network”) rely on HSPA+ technology, with T-Mobile routinely rating higher among consumers.

HSPA+ speeds top out at about 21Mbps theoretically, and in the real-world hover between 8Mbs and 12Mbps. A real-world 8-12Mbps on HSPA+ networks represents a huge increase, enough for marketers to deem it fourth-generation. Adding fuel to their messaging, many users on HSPA+ networks get faster speeds than users on LTE and WiMAX networks. In fact, a recent multi-location test by Phonescoop.com revealed that T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, on average, was faster than Sprint’s WiMAX network.

LTE:

The “3GPP Long Term Evolution” (LTE) standard was originally proposed by NTT DoCoMo in 2004 and represents a true departure from 3G technology. LTE is pre- if you will; the first step in a path to true 4G. The next step forward in LTE, LTE-Advanced, will meet the ITU speed definition.

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