- By Mike Issac
- | January 26, 2011 |
- 1:33 pm
In 2011, wireless carriers are banking on you going 4G with your next smartphone purchase.
Verizon says it will release 10 different 4G enabled handsets in the next year. AT&T says it will double that number, with 15 of its own offerings being Android OS-based devices. And T-Mobile, which offers a handful of 4G phones, claims its network is “America’s largest 4G network.”
But with all the wireless industry jargon being thrown around in marketing campaigns these days, it’s still unclear just what each carrier actually means when it touts its network as “4G.”
Let’s take a look behind the fog of marketing jargon that U.S. customers face today.
4G Technologies
Loosely defined, 4G stands for the the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. In the narrow terms originally defined by International Telecommunication Union standards, it doesn’t count as 4G unless it offers download speeds of 100Mbps to 1Gbps. That’s about 100 times faster than any speeds we’re seeing on networks now.
If we were to judge the networks available to us now by this standard, none of them would be considered 4G.
Luckily for the carriers, we aren’t judging that way — at least, not any more. In December at the ITU World Radiocommunication Seminar in Geneva, the ITU allowed the term “4G” to “also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement” compared to current 3G networks.
AT&T wasted no time embracing the new nomenclature, relabeling its network overnight.
And well it might, as rival T-Mobile has been using the same nomenclature for the same technology since early 2010.
Before we delve into each carrier’s offerings, let’s review the competing technologies being used today.
WiMAX
Developed by the IEEE, WiMAX is one of two competing technologies to blaze the 4G trail. WiMAX, also known as 802.16, is in the same family of standards as Wi-Fi. Sprint and Clearwire own the biggest share of the 2.5GHz spectrum — “the most readily usable licensed spectrum in the United States,” according to information site WiMAX.com – across which WiMAX is carried.
Users can typically expect download speeds of 2-4Mbps, with upload speeds topping out around .4-.5Mbps.
LTE
LTE stands for long-term evolution, the leading competitor to WiMAX for next-generation wireless data. Instead of expending efforts deploying a new network infrastructure — like Sprint has done and continues to do with WiMAX — LTE proponents like AT&T update existing 3G networks. While the WiMAX network is more fully developed at the moment, LTE won’t be widely available until 2013, according to forecasts from both AT&T and Verizon.
But LTE has the advantage in speed. Users can typically expect download speeds of 5-12Mbps, with upload speeds ranging from 2-5Mbps.
HSPA+
This is where it gets a bit tricky. High-speed packet access, or HSPA, is a third-generation (3G) data technology that’s widely used today. A faster version, HSPA+, has been widely considered 3.5G, until the ITU decision in December opened up those terms to a more liberal interpretation. Sprint, Verizon and AT&T weren’t happy. The technology is an incremental approach to upgrading existing HSPA networks, not a whole new generation of technology.
Still, the ITU decision means carriers can start referring to their HSPA+ networks as 4G. Speed tests of smartphones on HSPA+ networks have varied greatly, but users can generally expect download speeds of 1-3Mbps, with upload speeds from 0.4-0.8Mbps.
Let’s take a look at the big four U.S. mobile carriers and the flavors of “4G” they’re boasting.
Sprint
Launched in June of last year, the HTC Evo was the first WiMAX smartphone to appear commercially within the United States, as well as the first 4G-capable smartphone to hit Sprint’s network. With its attractive $10 a month unlimited 4G data plan, Sprint’s bottom line is the figure to beat.
Technology: WiMAX
Average Download/Upload Speed: 2-4.5Mbps down/.4-.5Mbps up, based on PCMag nationwide testing
Data Plan Cost: Unlimited data for $10/month
Availability: Currently available in over 70 markets
T-Mobile
It wasn’t a year ago that saw T-Mobile pimping itself out as the nation’s “largest 3G network.” But since 4G became the new black, T-Mobile started boasting “4G speeds” on its HSPA+ network, eventually relabeling the network itself as 4G. With a network that hosts 34 million data-thirsty subscribers, what you’ll most likely be getting are speeds somewhere in the 1-3Mbps down, and 0.4-0.8Mbps up range,according to recent testing.
T-Mobile ranks fourth in the U.S. amongst wireless carriers, but doesn’t want to be in that spot forever. The company will position itself as an “affordable data services” company in 2011 and beyond, according to Rene Olbermann, CEO of parent company Deutsche Telekom. T-Mobile plans to add over 25 4G devices in 2011, including the Samsung Galaxy S 4G,
Technology: HSPA+
Average Download/Upload Speed: 1-3Mbps down/0.4-.8Mbps up, based on PCMag nationwide testing
Data Plan Cost: 5GB/month for $40; 200MB/month for $25. Pre-paid plans also available.
Availability: Wide availability, with over 100 major cities covered by the network.
Verizon
Just recently launched in December, Verizon’s fledgling network measures in at the smallest, with service provided to 38 major metropolitan areas across 22 states. The company plans to expand its coverage nationwide by 2013. With a suite of 10 4G devices announced at CES in January — including HTC’s mammoth Thunderbolt smartphone and the sexy Motorola Xoom tablet – we’ll have to wait and see if network expansion can keep up with customer demand.
Technology: LTE
Average Download/Upload Speed: 5-12Mbps down/1-5Mbps up, based on real-world testing from Verizon
Cost: Unlimited data for $30/month; 2GB/month for $20. Prepaid plans also available.
Availability: 38 metropolitan areas across 22 states
AT&T
AT&T has rebranded its enhanced 3.5G network with careful caveats that claim “4G speeds” rather than naming the HSPA+ network itself 4G. But unlike T-Mobile, AT&T is following in step behind Verizon with plans for LTE upgrades to its network to be completed by 2013 (just like Verizon). As of today, AT&T has deployed HSPA+ to “virtually 100% of its mobile broadband network,” company spokesperson Seth Bloom told Wired.com in an email, “which enables 4G speeds when combined with backhaul.”
Technology: HSPA+, roll-out to LTE in 2011
Average Download/Upload Speed: 1.5-3Mbps down/0.25-0.4Mbps up, based on PCMag nationwide testing
Cost: 2GB for $25/month; 200MB for $15/month.
Availability: HSPA+ is widely available across the continental U.S.; LTE to be deployed in 2013.
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