4G Network Technology
What is 4G technology? – 4G (4th generation) technology is the extension of 3G (3rd generation) technology with panoptic services and bandwidth. Just like its predecessors (1G, 2G and 3G), the 4G technology follows the cellular communication standards defined and verified by ITU (International Telecommunication Union).
Cellular Broadband Networks: 4G networks
4G network technology is still developing where its cellular broadband WiMAX network would provide 128 Mbps speed for downloading and 56 Mbps speed for uploading where the cellular broadband LTE (Long Term Evolution) network promises 100 Mbps download speed and 50 Mbps upload speed. Being an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standard technology WiMAX does not follow ITU specifications where LTE as a standard technology aspired to excel the ITU’s specifications.
The planned requirements of the 1 Gbps for stationary communication and 100 Mbps for mobile communications are not fulfilled with the implementation of WiMAX and LTE technologies. These effectuations are treated as a stopgap measure to boost until LTE Advanced and WiMAX 2 are senesced.
The Standards of 4G
ITU-R defines that 4G refers to the International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) and must abide by requirements given below.
- For high mobility the peak data rate at a 4G network must be 100 Mbps and the rate of 1 Gbps for low mobility (nomadic wireless access).
- The technology must be dealt with all-IP packet switched network.
- The capability to utilize and share resources to address concurrent users per cell.
- The ascendable channel bandwidth between 5 to 20 MHz and 40 MHz in a optional case.
- The peak link spectral efficiency of 6.75 bit/s/Hz for uplink and 15 bit/s/Hz for downlink. The system spectral efficiency should be 2.25 bit/s/Hz/cell for the indoor usage, and 3/bit/s/Hz/cell in the downlink.
- Across heterogeneous networks smooth handovers must be ensured.
- Capacity to highly serve the next generation multimedia support.
- The realm of telecommunications has already embraced the term 4G as a short form of advanced cellular technology that is based on MIMO transmission, OFDMA and SC-FDE technologies and an all-IP architecture. The 4th Generation is developing but none could deny its promising prospects.