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November 30, 2008
What 4G Means
Throughout this blog, I've discussed "technological improvements" without going into much detail about what this broad category actually entails. These improvements enable today's phones to reach their breathtaking capabilities. Wireless companies are investing largely in research and development for a new feature: the 4G (fourth-generation) network.
What exactly will this 4G network bring? The answer is more features at faster speeds and more efficient power usage. Experts say that Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), a technology driving the 4G network, will enable data transmission speeds up to one gigabyte per second. Wi-Fi and WiMAX will become standard features. Experts predict that these newest mobile devices will offer high-quality video conferencing, improved battery life, and even traffic reports.
Although sure to be impressive, the 4G network is still a work in progress and many experts agree that it will take several years until phones come equipped with this revolutionary technology. Sprint Nextel invested $3 billion in research and development for the breakthrough network and Verizon Wireless is working on their own 4G network.
Meanwhile, a foreign telecommunications service provider, Mena Telecom, seems to have capitalized on the 4G network and is already offering the related WiMAX 802.16e technology. This company is based in Bahrain and will certainly draw attention and profit on their unique services until the competition catches up and the 4G network goes global.
Experts believe that the 4G network will result in an upheaval of the industry with a complete replacement of 3G networks and devices. This means that the current phones we use now will be thrown out and replaced by something far more impressive. Our current technology will soon be outdated in a market where product longevity is impossible. And the phones that we will have in the next decade will be astounding as standards will rise considerably.
Posted by iaijazud at November 30, 2008 04:33 PM