Cell C 4G Myth

In South Africa,the third cellular operator Cell C has branded itself as a first S.A cellular operator rendering 4G's services,deliberately confusing and misleading South Africans. The services are not 4G but HSPD.

Benefits

• HSPA+ 900 transmitter technology allows as much as 5 times larger coverage
• HSPA+ 900 allows much better coverage indoors, so you can surf and call from your home and office
• HSPA+ 900 allows for more than double the throughput at the cell edge than UMTS 2100
• Our HSPA+ 900 network is complemented by additional 2100 coverage in areas where extra capacity is needed.

Greater Service and Greater Speed - HSPD (High Speed Packet Access), commonly referred to as 3.5G, is an upgrade to WCDMA ( networks that allows for much higher data speeds for internet connectivity. This is not a 4G and 4G is still in it infancy and LTE (long-term evolution) technology and WinMax technology can qualify as 4G. NTT DoCoMo, a Japanese company, is set to release their first 4G network in 2010. Currently, it is analyzing 4G wireless communications at 1 GBps while stationary and 100 MBps for mobile phone users. Some analysts expect an announcement of a faster 4G network using WiMax by Sprint® Nextel, which plans to expand its markets in 2009 and cover over 80 cities by the end of 2010.

Summary:

1. 3G stands for 3rd generation while 4G stands for 4th generation,

2. 3G technologies are in widespread use while 4G compliant technologies are still in the horizon,

3. 4G speeds are much faster compared to 3G,

4. 3G is a mix of circuit and packet switching network while 4G is only a packet switching network.

The “anytime, anywhere” solution of 4G technology is also referred to as “MAGIC,” which is an abbreviation for mobile multimedia; anytime/anywhere; global mobility support; integrated wireless solution; and customized personal services. The fourth-generation wireless technology will provide a wide variety of new services including HD video (high definition video), and high quality voice and high-data-rate wireless channels. 4G technology will not only be used for cellular telephone systems, but will also include several types of wireless broadband access communication systems.

With a higher data rate and broader bandwidth capability, 4G technology will focus on providing seamless service across a multitude of wireless networks and systems. The core technologies employed by fourth-generation wireless may include OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), SDR (Software-Defined Radio) receivers, OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) UTMS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), and MIMO (multiple input/multiple output technologies). All these technologies will ensure high rates of data transmissions.

The 4G working group has defined several objectives of the fourth-generation wireless communication standard. This includes: a high data rate of 100 Mbps between any two points in the world, seamless connectivity allowing users to enjoy global roaming across multiple networks, and support for high quality multimedia.

The fourth-generation will interoperate with third generation systems as well as with broadband broadcasting systems. It also intends to integrate FWA (fixed wireless access, WLAN (wireless local area network), WLL (wireless local loop and PAN (personal area network), to provide fully IP-based wireless internet.

Reference

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-4g.htm