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3G and 4G Technologies

Evolution and comparison of mobile network technologies

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    3G and 4G Technologies Compare the pros and cons of 3G and 4G technologies Compare the pros and cons of 3G and 4G technologies to determine the best uses of 3G and 4G technologies in today’s applications. 2. Describe how an enterprise would use 3G, 4G, WWAN, and WIAMX to improve business. Explain why they would use one (1) solution over the remaining three (3). 3. Analyze the changes in 4G technology since the printing of the textbook in 2009 and identify those of importance for a user of 4G technology. 4. Take a position on the following statement, Wireless application protocol is a necessity for wireless communication organizations and their users. Then, explain your position with supporting evidence. 5. 3 references 6. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements (APA , title page, abstract, and references) Different wireless companies such as Verizon, AT&T, T - Mobile or Sprint always tries hard to convince consumers that their wireless network is the best, the fastest or offers the latest technology for mobile devices. With changing technology, almost everybody has a smart phone which enables them to check their emails or surf the web. Currently, there are two different wireless networks: 3G and 4G. 3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunication is pretty much an application service that includes wide - area wireless voice telephone, mobile internet access, video calls, and mobile TV, all in a mobile environment. 4G is pretty much the same concept as 3G except it’s ten times faster than 3G. (Lee, 2011). Smartphone users are now consuming more data than ever before on a per - user basis (Kellogg, 2011). With the availability of new apps, services, and cloud storage, users are now utilizing their internet connection more than before (Nguyen, 2012). The current architecture of the 3G network starts with a base station what is referred as a Node B. The radio network controller (RNC) will provide various types of radio - related functionality such as: resource allocation, link layer encryption, and paging and fine - grained location tracking for mobiles in idle mode. It will also provide mobility anchoring for mobiles` data flow as they move from node to node. Meaning it will receive data destined for a given mobile and redirecting the data to the mobile’s current point of attachment. The Serving GPRS support node (SGSN) is the main component of the GPRS

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    network that provides high levels of mobility anchoring, paging, and location tracking for idle mobiles moving from one RNC to another RNC. Finally the Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) would be responsible for the interworking between the GPRS network and the external packet switched networks. It will allocate IP address to mobiles and acts as a gateway router for the subnet from which the mobile’s IP address is allocated. Data designed for the given mobile is routed from the Internet to the GGSN. The GGSN applies operator policies to the data flow, which will then give a tunnel data to the mobile’s serving SGSN. The SGSN will then tunnel the data to the RNC, then it will segments the data into link layer protocol data unites which will deliver it to Node B (base station). Below is a diagram of how the 3G network architect would look like (Agrawal & Bedekar, 2007). Figure 1. 3GPP network architecture (Agrawal & Bedekar, 2007). 4G networks will not fix dropped calls or other service problems but it is a lot faster than the 3G network. It lets the consumers browse the web, download songs and stream movies a lot quicker than the 3G networks (Lee, 2011). When comparing 3G and 4G, the data throughput for 3g is up to 3.1 mbps and the 4G data throughput is 3 - 5 mbps. 4G networks have a higher frequency band at 2 - 8GHz compared to 1.8 - 2.5GHz. In addition, the peak download rate for 4G is much more than 3G (3G vs 4G, 2011). As for user perception, most people think that 4G is faster than 3G, which is true. However, wireless carriers do no advertise how fast 4G is with numbers, instead, they advertise the “experience” and the “feel” of the technology. First off, the "G" stands for a generation of mobile technology. Each "G" generally requires you to get a new phone, and for networks to make expensive upgrades. The first two were analog cell phones (1G) and digital phones (2G). Then it got complicated. Third - generation mobile networks, or 3G, came to the U.S. in 2003. With minimum consistent Internet speeds of 144Kbps, they were considered mobile broadband. There are now so many varieties of 3G, though, that a 3G connection can get you Internet speeds anywhere from 400Kbps to more than ten times that. New generations usually bring new base technologies, more network capacity for more data per user, and the potential for better voice quality, too. 4G phones are supposed to be even faster, but that's not always the case. There are so many technologies called "4G," and so many ways to implement them,

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    that the term is almost meaningless. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) tried to issue requirements to call a network 4G but they were ignored by carriers, and eventually the ITU gave up. 4G technologies include HSPA+ 21/42 (HSPA was for 3.5G), WiMAX, and LTE (although some consider LTE the only true 4G of that bunch, and some people say none of them are fast enough to qualify.) There's one thing for sure though, each generation offers faster Internet speeds than the last, on the same carrier. Sprint's WiMAX 4G is almost always faster than its CDMA 3G. But AT&T's 3G HSPA can be faster than MetroPCS's 4G LTE. You can rely on speeds to move up within your carrier, though. PC Mag runs a yearly Fastest Mobile Networks contest, and in last year’s test, they found (quoted from the magazine) “that Verizon's 4G LTE network was the fastest, followed by T - Mobile 4G HSPA+, AT&T 4G HSPA+, Sprint 4G WiMAX, MetroPCS 4G LTE, Verizon 3G, and Cricket 3G, with Sprint coming in last. As AT&T and Sprint put out their LTE networks, they are expected to be competitive with Verizon's LTE speeds.” You have to ask yourself when it is right for you to get 4G. Right now the mobile carriers are still building up their 4G networks, so first off, you’ll need 4G coverage to appreciate a 4G phone. Of the national carriers, Verizon and T - Mobile have the broadest 4G coverage. AT&T currently only covers about a quarter of the nation’s population. Sprint is in the middle of switching 4G systems, from WiMAX to LTE. The two are not compatible with each other, so you must check coverage in your city for the specific variety of 4G you're buying. If your data plan is not unlimited, you better watch out for the amount of data you use, because it's easy to use up a lot very quickly with 4G. If you have a 3G phone and the clogged - up networks frustrate you, 4G may be the solution. You'll be switching to a different, less - trafficked network for your Internet data. 4G won't solve any dropped call problems, though, because all calls will be made over 3G networks until carriers switch to voice - over - LTE during the next few years. If you want to future - proof yourself, get a 4G phone. 4G coverage is only going to get better, and that's where the carriers are spending most of their money right now. As we move into 2013 and 2014, some carriers will even try to

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