11-Sep-2012 09:36

So what is 4G?

News is emerging that UK Mobile operator Everything Everywhere is expected shortly to unveil the UK's first fourth generation (4G) phone service…

So what is 4G?

At the moment most smart phones use 3G (or even 2G) to access data including the internet; 4G is simply the next step (the fourth generation) of data use, making downloading data much faster.


So how fast is 4G?

There are market claims that 4G could offer speeds of 20Mb per second, faster than many current home broadband connections; but not as fast as fibre optic broadband services.
Everything Everywhere claim that the speeds would mean downloading an entire album of music in under a minute, and a feature film in ten minutes.The company claims that 4G is up to 20 times faster than the current 3G.


So will I need a new phone?

Yes. To access the 4G network you would need a 4G enabled phone. Some phones that could be 4G enabled are Nokia’s Lumia 920, and the expected Apple iPhone 5.


So will it cost more?

Yes, undoubtedly. Everything Everywhere have not yet confirmed the plans and details but customers should expect to pay more.


Do any other countries already have 4G?

Yes. UK is lagging behind much of the world with 40+ countries including Brazil, Canada & the USA already using 4G.