Move Over 3G, Here Comes 4G
It wasn’t too long ago that 3G was the bees knees in mobile internet, but times have changed and the wireless world is about to experience another shakeup. 4G is the next big thing and I’ve had the chance to see it in action at CES 2010.
I visited the Sprint tent just outside the convention center to check out their newest 4G devices.
I’m not really sure why they chose to use a decidedly stationary device like the Xbox console to show off their mobile web. Although it worked well, it really didn’t give me any idea about how well the 4G works in normal usage.
Luckily, Sprint’s 4G network is available for consumers to use today and your intrepid reporter took advantage of the opportunity. With the help of Cheetah Wireless, I was able to rent a 4G USB card to access Sprint’s network throughout my stay in Las Vegas.
The verdict? So far so good. While online broadband speed tests show speeds lower than what has been advertised, the actual web browsing experience has been great. Even heavier tasks like downloading and uploading to Youtube have been a synch.
And the coverage in the city has been admirable. Even in the northern reaches, many miles from downtown, I was able to pull in a good connection.
All the major carriers have plans in place to roll out 4G coverage soon. If the recent acrimony between AT&T and Verizon is any indication, you can expect the coverage race to intensify quickly.
This can only mean good things for us as consumers. Having a fast connection means I can have a top-rate internet experience without having the wireless tether of Wifi. I just hope the device manufacturers can step up their game and bring us some phones that take advantage of it.
iPhone 4G anyone?
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Good general report. But there’s one glaring issue – Sprint’s 4G WONT be the same as the 4G for the other big wireless carriers in the US. Sprint’s gone with a 4G technology called Wi-Max and you’ll see T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon roll out LTE (which will be the global standard). Sprints gone into considerable debt for a technology that will most likely be out done and out developed because of more support going in the direction of LTE. Look for Wi-Max to go the way of HD DVD if Clearwire/Sprint can’t get people to use a wireless 4G technology on their devices that they can’t use abroad, and would still pay a heft premium for.
It was a purposeful omission. Truth is, consumers don’t really care about the technology they are using. When it comes to 4G, the difference between LTE and WiMax will be as academic as the difference between CDMA and GSM. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. While LTE will be a global technology, if Sprint is able to grab an early advantage in coverage, devices and price, people will latch on to their service and it will be yet another example of the US bucking global trends. Either way, all 4G will be known as 4G, just like all 3G is known as 3G despite the differing technologies different carriers employ.
I agree. For the most part the average person will just know it as 4G. However, even though Sprint has come to market with the first 4G network, it’s Sprint we’re talking about (not known for making the wisest investments, a la Nextel). They don’t have near the market share that AT&T nor Verizon have. At best their 4G tech will become a niche for traveling business people that don’t leave the country and aren’t sure they’ll be able to get high-speed data through an already established free Wi-Fi network.
Good general report. But there's one glaring issue – Sprint's 4G WONT be the same as the 4G for the other big wireless carriers in the US. Sprint's gone with a 4G technology called Wi-Max and you'll see T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon roll out LTE (which will be the global standard). Sprints gone into considerable debt for a technology that will most likely be out done and out developed because of more support going in the direction of LTE. Look for Wi-Max to go the way of HD DVD if Clearwire/Sprint can't get people to use a wireless 4G technology on their devices that they can't use abroad, and would still pay a heft premium for.