4g Phones and Technology in the Field

4G Phones and Technology

In the field of telecommunications, the term 4G is the fourth generation of mobile communication standards; obviously the successor to 3G. In general, a 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadband Internet access to devices, amended mobile web access, gaming, High Definition television, video conferencing, and Voice Over IP technology. Most Android and Windows-enabled cellular devices are not 4G capable, but not ever location is able to access 4G technology. However, one real advantage of 4G is that it can provide an internet data transfer rate higher than any current cellular services, other than broadband and Wi-Fi connections (Cox, 2012).

4G is not a new technology, and has been on the market commercially since at least 2008. However, Since 2010 Smartphone technology has grown so much that aggressive speed and market expansion have pushed the envelope and consumer expectations for coverage and more rapid downloads. Even with the faster download speeds and the 2012 launch of 4G in most of Europe, consumers are still demanding more. One of the challenges is ensuring that there are enough base stations that can handle 4G so that the high bit rates available are accessible. Simply having a 4G phone means it is "capable" of 4G speeds, depending upon the provider's network, coverage area, and speed and memory of base stations (Rathod, 2012).

The advantages of a 4G phone based on features are its ability to provide high speed access through two technological standards: Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). This has improved speed exponentially, thus causing a variety of multimedia applications like conferencing, video phone, video on demand, streaming HD movies, multimedia messaging, graphic intensive games, and more multitasking between applications (e.g. pulling up emails or spreadsheets while videoconferencing and sending those materials to members of the meeting). It is the integration that makes 4G both popular and desirable, which will likely continue its demand (Ibrahim, 2006).

What 4G should do is offer the types of mobile services everyone has been expecting for the past several years. They key, once again, is not the phone technology that has the fast download and browsing speeds, but the access points. In 2010, for instance, Sprint had full 4G in only 27 U.S. cities, with the promise of quadrupling that by 2011. The features on the phone surround the ability to use and move data. Data intensive applications are graphics, movies, and multitasking applications. Features of the phone result from wireless' engineering protocol to deliver speed. On average, for instance, 4G wireless is 4-10 times faster than 3G. This also means that sharing features and personal entertainment are more available to users of the network without spending hundreds of dollars on expensive hardware. A 4G phone, fully operation, is a prime example of Moore's Law, which is simply stated as the number of chips (memory) available doubles every 18-24 months, thus increasing computing power. If we think of it, "today's smartphones put more power in [our] hands than could fit into an entire room just a little more than a decade ago" (Hallwachs, 2010).