Mobile Devices in Modern Industries

3G? or not 3G? that is the question. Or maybe it would be better to 4G. This episode of the backyard bash is being written because the boss man wants me to present the bored, I mean board members with information on the different Wi-Fi technologies concerning the purchase of cellular devices for his staff.

As far as I can understand, the 3G is third generation mobile networks. Came to America in 2003, replaced the dinosaur technology that had been available in previous years. I worked in field service for a company back in well, the old days, and had my first experience with cell phones. The thing was as big as my home land line handset. Anyway, now days the phone is a third generation Qualcomm CDMA flip phone. Just perfect for emergencies; should one appear.

The 3G has a minimum consistent internet speed of 144Kbps, however, with the varieties available now, one can get internet speeds from 400Kbps to more than ten times as much.

4G phones are said to be much faster, but this is not always the case. The 4G technology comes in many variations and different ways to be implemented that the term 4G is said to be meaningless. A standards body called the International Telecommunications Union tried to issue regulations to call a network 4G but were ignored by the carriers. 4G technologies include HSPA+ 21/42, the now obsolete WiMAX, and LTE (although LTE is considered the only true 4G by some).

The upload speed is the determining factor for the network to be called a true 4G. It is said that LTE’s upload speed is far superior to the HSPA. The carrier eventually determines the rate of speed, that is the carrier with more available radio spectrum for LTE can typically run faster networks than those without.

PC News runs an annual Fastest Mobile Networks story which tests 3G and 4G networks in over 30 cities nationwide. The author stated that on speed alone, Verizon’s 4G network was the fastest, followed by T-Mobile LTE, AT&T LTE, T-Mobile HSPA+, Sprint LTE, AT&T HSPA, Verizon 3G and finally Sprint 3G.

The following is being inserted for GP (general purposes), and because I can. This whole article is of interest for me, my typing skills leave a lot to be desired, but if I can research, I am happy.

When to Go For 4G In 2015, almost everyone should have a 4G phone. Verizon now has nationwide 4G LTE coverage. T-Mobile and MetroPCS have nationwide HSPA+ 42 and growing LTE networks. AT&T has broad LTE coverage. Sprint is still building out LTE, but by next year the carrier aims to be comprehensive.

If you like to surf the Web and especially stream video, 4G can be heaven. If you connect a laptop to your mobile link, 4G makes a huge difference. In general, anything involving transferring large amounts of data gets a big boost from 4G. Watch out for the data limits on your service plan, though; it's easy to use up a lot of data very quickly with 4G.

If you have a 3G phone and you've been frustrated with slow data, 4G may be the solution. 4G won't solve any dropped call problems, though, as all calls will be made over older networks until carriers switch to voice-over-LTE during the next few years.

Finally, if you want to future-proof yourself, get a 4G phone. 4G coverage is only going to get better, and that's where the carriers are spending most of their money right now. You can assume that all 4G phones also support your carrier's 3G and 2G networks as well.

I have actually found that the more one looks into these devices and their carriers, one should stay away from the carrier ad/articles and find a reliable third party commentator for any subject. As Sgt. Friday says… Just the Facts Ma’am - Just the facts.

Thanks for stopping by. Untill next time_ Happy researching!

"3G vs. 4G: What's the Difference?" PCMAG. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399984,00.asp>.