Internet Download Speed

4G Wireless Download Speeds

With the deluge of information regarding the coming arrival of 4G wireless internet, many consumers are wondering exactly what the differences are between the new 4G networks and the 3G networks already in use. Commercials tout higher speeds without offering any sort of explanation, DSL companies seem convinced of the need to dissuade customers from exploring the 4G option, and cellular phone manufacturers make comparisons with competing phones using technology that has not yet arrived. However, most consumers are not exactly sure how these increased download and upload speeds will change their wireless internet or cellular phone services.

Speed is without a doubt the largest difference between 4G wireless internet and the 3G networks that most Americans have grown accustomed to. There are two types of speeds that are relevant to the comparison between 3G and 4G networks, download speed, which measures how quickly data can be accessed from the internet onto a handheld device or laptop computer, and upload speed, which measures how fast data can be transmitted from a handheld device or laptop to the internet. Both of these speeds are measured in Megabits per second, which simply indicates how much data (in Megabits) can be sent or received in one second. While 4G improves upon both types of speeds, the analysis of download speeds given users a slightly better idea of how 4G wireless internet will change the way they use wireless communications, and is therefore our focus here.

With regard to download speed, 3G networks generally range from 0.6 to 1.4 Megabits per second, with occasional high-speed bursts up to 3.1 Megabits per second. However, 3G networks are generally incapable of reaching the higher end of that range when the user attempting to download data in moving at a high rate of speed, such as in a car or train. New 4G networks, on the other hand, offer download speeds between 3 and 6 Megabits per second, with bursts sometimes exceeding 10 Megabits per second, over three times the highest speed possible of third generation networks. Additionally, 4G networks were designed for mobile use a high rates of speed, meaning that even when in-transit in a car, train, or plane, users will be able to download data at the higher end of the data rate spectrum when utilizing a 4G wireless internet network.

The application of these seemingly abstract numbers reveals a significant difference between the two types of networks. As most 3G users already know, handheld devices on 3G networks will download static web pages with little problem, but can not handle streaming video, or many web pages that utilize Flash animation. Likewise, 3G wireless internet networks necessitate a substantial amount of time to download video clips and movies onto a laptop. 4G Networks, on the other hand, will allow handheld and laptop users to watch high definition television live, with no loading times, no hiccups, and no interruptions when moving from one 4G wireless internet network to another. Additionally, 4G users will be able to download a full-length feature film, a task that can easily take an hour on a 3G network, in less than five minutes.

This means that handheld devices utilizing 4G technology will enable users to watch high definition television while taking a cab across town and 4G wireless internet users will have the capability to download two or three movies while waiting to board a plane, for example. Furthermore, as is the case with many advances in technology, in the wake of the implementation of 4G networks across the country, countless innovations that were previously unthinkable will likely become reality, making 4G truly a revolution in wireless communications.