What is the difference between 3G and 4G and what should I prefer?

Every day our life accelerates, and the information atmosphere becomes denser. Today, few people are satisfied that by means of a mobile phone it's easy to stay in touch, now everyone wants to be fully included in the information space. Chats, social networks, video calls - all these delights require that you have a permanent connection to the Internet. Ensuring a permanent access to the network is easy, even very low-cost phone models have access through EDGE and GPRS. And if we talk about high-speed connection, then everything is quite difficult, because there is a choice. And this is always painful.

Original sources

The most simple and common way to provide yourself with mobile Internet is the mobile communication standards GPRS, EDGE and 3G. The latter can not be called simply a standard. This is a collective term that hides a whole set of standards. If the device has 3G support, 4G, then it is able to provide its owner with access to the Internet at the highest speed. If there is a problem with such a signal, then the equipment will easily switch to an earlier standard EDGE or GPRS. According to the cellular operators themselves, the 3G network is ubiquitous. But in practice it is not so all rosy. There are many problems associated with heterogeneous factors, including even relief, natural phenomena and solar exposure. Before thinking about what is different about 3G from 4G, you need to understand a lot of nuances.

Versatility

3G Internet is currently the most common option, so 99% of devices work with this standard. Previously, mobile Internet was the easiest way to devastate a purse, and now operators are ready to offer their customers various tariff plans.

If we talk about how 3G differs from 4G, then the important factor, oddly enough, is the speed. The more people connect to the channel, the lower its throughput. If we add problems with the coverage zones to this complex, then we can expect only a third of the theoretical speed. However, this is relevant only for areas with high subscriber density - for densely populated points and cities, as well as for traffic. In other conditions, the speed sometimes jumps to record values.

Other options

Before we talk about how 3G differs from 4G, we should dwell on the proposals of operators working with the CDMA standard. The specificity of this technology assumes a completely different solution to the problem of downloading the channel and the number of users. The quality and availability of the signal depend, as in other cases, on a number of factors. However, these indicators are much better when using CDMA technology than when using GSM. Under ideal conditions, the maximum speed is up to 3.2 megabits per second.

It should be noted that 3G, 4G, CDMA routers are not as diverse as when using GSM. However, if you want, you can find your "own" device, which will be convenient for you.

LTE networks

Before you tell us about what distinguishes 3G from 4G, it's worth mentioning about LTE networks, which were launched not so long ago by several operators in Russia. Throughout the world, this standard has been in effect for more than a year. The problem of using these networks in Russia is that all foreign devices operate in a completely different frequency range. But Russian operators offer their customers to choose the right equipment for the user of such networks, as well as an optimal tariff plan and an advantageous coverage area. Users can choose from a whole range of devices, including USB modems and Wi-Fi routers with built-in batteries, which can be placed in a bag and do not worry that the trip will have problems with access to the Internet. There are also standard routers that can be connected to the city's power network and used at home.

Coverage Area 4G

So what is the difference between 3G and 4G? It is worth noting that both networks have well-defined coverage areas. In the second case, the problem is the low prevalence of the network, in most cases it is possible to use 4G only in large cities. In Moscow and Moscow region, the coverage will be fragmented. The first of the operators developing a new type of coverage, the market came out "Megaphone". And now he has the maximum coverage area across the Russian territory. It is important to understand that switching 3G / 4G is gradual, therefore the coverage area will grow with time. On the website of each mobile operator there is always up-to-date information about the coverage area.

The company "MTS" in Moscow and the Moscow region secured its second place in terms of coverage, which became possible due to the active development of the network. The minimum zone for the operator "Beeline", as he joined the "race" later than everyone.

Price

So, the difference between 3G and 4G is in the approach to implementation, but the price is another significant factor in case of using both networks. The speed of 4G is not limited to the mobile operator, but depends on how busy the network is at the moment. The user can purchase any tariff plan, while its cost will depend on the available traffic.

Equipment

Wireless 3G or 4G-Internet serves as an alternative to the wired Internet. This is especially true where wire provider services are not available. For example, if you own a dacha or an apartment in a new building, then you will have access to a good high-speed Internet. In such a situation, the best solution would be to use a 3G or 4G router. It is useful not only for organizing the distribution of wireless Internet via Wi-Fi, but also for obtaining stable access to the Network where reception of the signal is uncertain. For this, an external antenna or antenna amplifier is used.

What is 3G?

3G is a wireless technology that has a lot of advantages in comparison with generations earlier. Some factors favorably distinguish it, in particular, high-speed transmission, modern multimedia capabilities, as well as global roaming. This technology is used to connect mobile phones to the Internet or other IP-networks, so that consumers have the opportunity for voice communication or video communication, as well as using the Internet and downloading files.

What is 4G?

If we talk about the difference between 3G and 4G, then, in fact, the main criterion is that the latter standard uses a new frequency range, while there is no backward compatibility of technologies. 4G is designed to provide comprehensive security for all IP-based solutions (IP telephony, gaming services, broadband Internet access, and streaming of multimedia content).

4G and 3G

For a better understanding of the difference between the two technologies, it is necessary to consider certain points.

The first point of comparison is speed. It's hard to call that standard, which is better. In the first case, as mentioned earlier, the speed is directly dependent on the coverage of the network. 4G works 10 times faster than 3G. It all depends on the equipment used to amplify the signals and transfer data.

The appearance of 3G allowed users to simultaneously talk on the phone and transmit data at high speed. In the case of 4G, the transmission speed increased noticeably, in addition, consumers were able to use multimedia content directly from the Internet and play online games. The functions of talking and data transfer work in both cases simultaneously.

Transmission technology

3G uses for data transmission switching channels of network nodes and packets. In 4G only packet switching is used. If we compare the bandwidth of both networks, then there is no difference. In 4G, all calls use IP telephony, which is not available on 3G networks.

For both networks, the data transfer rate is approximately the same and is at the level of 5-20 Mbit / s.

Conclusion

Of course, 4G is a more advanced technology, but its full implementation is not yet complete, so users can not evaluate all the benefits. Since 3G support, 4G is not yet developed enough to move to a new level, all services that should be available to users are at the stage of initial implementation. Networks of the latest generation have a lot of features that have not been fully studied, and modern equipment is becoming more complex every day, so all the advantages of technology will become evident only after a while, and then it will be possible to compare 3G and 4G-Internet to the fullest.