4G: Boldly Go Where Mobile Broadband Has Never Gone Before

One of the points you should look for in the best mobile broadband packages is speed.  This means that you should consider the packages that offer you the fastest speeds and in mobile broadband that is 4G.  It is important that you understand what 4G is when you look at these best mobile broadband packages.  When you know about the connection you will be able to better understand what the broadband has to offer.

What is 4G?

4G is the abbreviation used for the fourth generation communication system.  This system is also known as LTE or long term evolution technology and beyond 3G.  4G was created to overcome the two biggest problems experienced with 3G.  These problems are the congestion of the network and the speed of the connection. 

Mobile broadband packages which feature 4G have already hit the UK market but they are limited at the moment.  Many providers have stated that they will start offering these deals during 2013.  This limited offering means that the coverage zones for 4G is smaller than that for 3G but it is set to increase.  There are still a number of 4G mobile broadband deals that you can look into. 

Congestion on the 3G Network

The number of users and their demands have been a problem the 3G network has had for many years.  The main reason for this is the fact that 3G is the only option for higher speeds of mobile broadband.  However, this high demand has cause the 3G network to become congested and this leads to problems for all the users.  There are some facts that can help us all understand why exactly the 3G network is congested:

·         The total number of mobile connections in the UK is 70 million which is actually 10 million more than the overall population.

·         Every month around 17 million people in the UK will use their phone to go online through 3G connections.

·         Most of the population excluding the very young and very old will have two mobile devices which connect to the 3G network.

Just looking at these facts you can see why the 3G network is having problems.  To cope with these demands the network will need to be able to cope with higher volumes and the 4G network can. 

The Speed of 4G Mobile Broadband

The biggest difference you will find between deals with 3G and 4G is the speed.  4G offers a much faster connection speed which helps mobile broadband users keep up with the increased demand.  Activities on the internet have evolved and they require greater speeds than before. 

The speeds offered by 3G connections are able to handle certain activities such as:

·         Checking emails

·         Using social media

·         Viewing standard definition videos

These applications are usually text based and do not use very high quality video.  However, more and more people are using applications which require high speeds including video calls, real time gaming and watching high quality videos. 

Providers who offer 4G mobile broadband connections can offer their consumers up to 40mb per second speeds.  These speeds are not only much higher than the average 3G speed of 7mb per second but also rival ADSL connections and some fibre optic packages. 

While these speeds are impressive there are a number of factors which could cause the speed to be lower than promised: 

·         The device you are using can also affect the speed you get.  Some devices are not able to handle a 4G connection.  If your device is one of these then the speed you get will be lower or you might actually be using the 3G network.

·         The coverage zone of the provider can decrease the speed of your connection.  If you are on the edges of the coverage zone the 4G signal will be weaker and this equates to lower overall connection speeds.

How Much this Costs

Most people will expect a 4G mobile broadband deal to be more expensive than a 3G mobile broadband deal.  While this is the case with a few providers, other providers have kept the cost of a 4G contract the same as their 3G contract.

How This Affects You

4G will offer consumers a number of benefits.  The most important will be an increase in reliability and speed.  The network is still in its infancy but when more providers start offering 4G mobile broadband deals these benefits will affect more people.  There are three other benefits that you will see with 4G deals.

The data allowance on these deals will be higher than 3G deals.  The reason for this is that with the increase in speeds people will be able to use different applications.  These applications generally use more data as well as greater speeds.  Greater data allowances may also see more people signing up for mobile broadband as the deals will be more cost effective when compared to other options.

The cost of certain services will also be reduced.  At the moment the cost of a video call is around 4 times more expensive than a regular call.  The cost of MMS messages are also greater to send than a normal text message.  Providers will have to lower these costs when the 4G network expands.  The reason for this is that 4G offers people the ability to use services like Skype which is free. 

Better access to the cloud.  Online hosting is something that more applications are taking advantage of.  The cloud is the way that most people are doing this.  However, access to the cloud is best done from a wireless connection because of the stability and speeds.  With the 4G network you will be able to access data stores on the cloud from a device connection to mobile broadband.

4G mobile broadband is the next step in mobile broadband and will offer a number of benefits.  The two main benefits of this network is an increase in speed and stability.