What is 4G?

4G is the fourth generation of mobile networks that aims to provide a faster and more reliable Internet connection for data transmission via smart devices, such as phones and tablets. Benefits include: allowing users to quickly load websites, download large e-mail attachments and stream audio and video effectively.

You will hear the acronym ‘LTE’. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and is the 4G technology that is being used by 4G networks in the UK.

The term 4G may be new to you as it has only recently been launched in the UK. In actual fact however, it has been used for several years, with over 40 countries, such as USA, Germany and South Korea, having already adopted it.

4G in the UK

LTE was launched at the end of October in the UK across 11 cities: London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Glasgow and Southampton. It was launched by EE (Everything Everywhere), the UK mobile network operator formed through a merger between Orange and T-Mobile, which has the sole right to offer 4G services until May 2013.

EE has estimated speeds between 8 and 10Mbit/s. This is as fast as the average home broadband connection, which Ofcom reveals to be 9Mbit/s, and is approximately five times faster than the previous 3G mobile network, based upon Ofcom’s most recent speed survey finding that the UK average 3G speed is 1.5Mbits/s.

There are however several issues with 4G, which may suggest that it is not yet the ideal solution for customers.

Issues with 4G

1. For customers to be able to gain access to 4G they currently have to switch to EE.

2. Moreover, customers also have to own a 4G-enabled device to be able to connect to a 4G network.

3. More worryingly the prices that EE are charging for 4G monthly tariffs are high, the lowest monthly charge being £36 for 500MB of data. This may seem reasonable initially, but not when you put it into context and consider that 500MB is only equivalent to streaming just 2 hours (approximately) of video via iPlayer.

4. Lastly the 4G network is not compatible worldwide. Although 4G network providers exist worldwide they operate on different frequencies, which are incompatible. Moreover, when the frequencies do match there has to be an operator agreement in place to be able to use it, something that currently does not exist. This means that it is likely that customers, such as business users, who want to use their 4G network when traveling will not be able to.

Roseanna Fletcher

Sources:

- Ofcom, August 2012, Network upgrades boost average broadband speeds, Available from: http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2012/08/15/network-upgrades-boost-average-broadband-speeds/

- Ofcom, 2010, Mobile broadband speeds revealed, Available from: http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2011/05/mobile-broadband-speeds-revealed/