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The Difference Between 4G and 4G LTE

This article focuses on the difference between 4G and LTE technology

By JunaidPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 4 min read
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Remember when phones had the slowest internet speeds? It’s hard to imagine life without high-speed internet now. Today, we commonly hear words like 4G, LTE, and of course, 5G the newest technology in mobile data. LTE is the next generation of mobile technology, considered the big leap after 3G. The difference between the two is important for consumers, especially if you are thinking of switching either phones or networks.

A Little Bit of History

The names come from the International Telecommunication Union or ITU-R, which decides the standards of services for networks. To keep it simple, the “G” in 2G, 3G, 4G and so on is for “generation” while the numbers are their sequence of availability. LTE is short for Long-term Evolution and refers to the concept of enhancing wireless internet speeds to a certain standard.

In 2008, the ITU-R established standards for 4G. For devices like tablets and phones, speeds must have a minimum peak of 100 MB (megabits) per second. Long-term Evolution (LTE) is not exactly a form of technology. It is more like the route taken to reach the ITU-R defined speed for 4G.

Previously, phones showing that “4G” sign were not being accurate. Devices could not realistically attain the speed according to the guidelines, as the networks had not caught up to technology in those times. It was decided that if network speeds were an advance over 3G, they could be labeled as such. LTE thus refers to the technical path taken to achieve 4G speed standards.

Companies took advantage of this and started to advertise their networks as 4G LTE. This way they could say their connection speed was next-gen without really reaching them.

We tend to use the terms 4G and LTE rather – but there are two main areas where they differ. While the differences may appear slight, they represent a big step forward towards technology. Read on to learn more!

Speed

As a general rule, the speed of the newest 4G networks is 10 times faster than the speed of 3G. The ITU requires a minimum of 100 megabits per second and 1 gigabit per second for hotspots. When the first 4G networks were introduced, the speeds were record-breaking.

To sum it up, LTE is faster than 3G but not as fast as 4G itself. It's a faster version of 3G. For example, if you're trying to upload a movie to your phone, 4g LTE will be faster than that. It's not, however, as good as LTE.

However, there is a catch. There are two parts to generate 4G connectivity. The first is having the right device able to support these speeds. The second is having a device built to connect to the networks essential and simultaneously, can download data at a fairly high speed.

The speeds and networks even depend upon where you are, as well as your device. If your location has good network coverage, you will get a faster internet browsing experience on your device.

Most modern devices can support 3G and 4G LTE, although 3G is being slowly phased out. So, you might not be able to tell the difference between 4G and LTE. On the other hand, if you see your favorite web page loading slower than normal – that’s probably 3G.

Data Transfer

The 4G network can support 1Gb/sec of data transfer, while the LTE network is restricted to half a gigabit. Although the two networks don’t have the same capacities, they do however make use of the same frequency bands for data transfer.

They differ when it comes to the bandwidth, the amount of data transferred in a specific time, and latency, which is the time it takes for your data to go where it needs to.

By integrating both of these kinds of factors, companies ensure that their users can benefit from all the possible bandwidth provided to them. The difference between speeds is truly felt when downloading a large document, uploading an email attachment, or even when accessing a website with lots of graphics. Slower networks indicate slower internet browsing.

And that’s technology today. Think of how 4G and 4G LTE help us in our day-to-day life. Even with all their differences, both 4G and LTE represent huge progress in mobile networks.

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About the Creator

Junaid

A blogger, tech-enthusiastic, and SEO expert.

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