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When it comes to the internet, everyone has a modem and a broadband connection in their homes. It is very rare to find a home where there is no internet connection, but of course, we can’t exactly rule out the possibility completely. While many urban and rural areas are served by plenty of internet service providers, some places are devoid of internet access and they have to make do with something else. Something like mobile broadband will do the trick here!
That’s not the only time people use or prefer mobile broadband; rather people also subscribe to mobile data due to the affordability factor of mobile broadband services. Surely, getting a data plan for your phone is simpler and far more affordable than getting a wired service subscription. Hence, you will find that many students also opt for this option. Recently, however, mobile broadband is more than just a student’s choice of internet service. As it would appear, mobile broadband is gaining popularity among businesses as well.
This can be attributed particularly to the change from 4G technologies to 5G technologies. If you don’t understand how this changes anything, we have detailed the differences and more in this blog, so keep reading!
If we think about it, 4G was introduced at a time when wireless telephones and data were extremely popular. Everyone suddenly wanted a cell phone and that meant a higher density of cell phone towers, wider coverage of networks, and all that necessary stuff that is needed to make bandwidth available for use. And when we say bandwidth available for use, we mean by businesses as well. This is where the density of nodes comes in.
The problem with the earlier mobile networks and technologies was that the cell towers had great distances between each other. This meant that there was a lower capacity for people using the network at any given time. If a few hundred people were to connect to one cell tower simultaneously, this would result in a jammed network. This is not something a business can afford. As a business, your network needs to be up and running to function normally.
This is why the legacy mobile networks didn’t work well for businesses. However, as 4G came to the scene, these sorts of guarantees could be made. Wireless networks for businesses became a real possibility. It was now possible to get high-speed internet service all with a wireless connection or mobile broadband.
LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. LTE is a technical standard that multiple companies have to follow or comply closely with to maintain a technology that could be very useful to businesses. The reason we need this standard is to generate bandwidth via lower frequencies which pack more data and offer little to no latency. A higher frequency would cover a short range and be easily intercepted. This is why, instead of using a higher frequency, we use a lower one with a spike. Thus, a larger area is covered and more people can access the network without a problem.
This is also the main reason why LTE is super important for internet service providers and businesses. With LTE, you have more efficient use of bandwidth and it makes the wireless internet connection a very suitable option for businesses. 5G internet, in many places, is mainly just a 4G network that uses LTE to get a 5G network performance. And if you are wondering if 5G home internet is possible because of this, yes it very much is!
After 4G, there comes 5G and it is the latest generation. Developed with the same 3GPP standards used for LTE, this network is very quickly becoming the norm! In ideal conditions, it can go up to 200 Mbps and can use much higher frequencies. One thing you should know about 5G, or more precisely LTE/5G, is that it isn’t limited to the high-frequency bands and it isn’t short-range, so this is why long distance is not a problem!
Oftentimes, LTE/5G works with LTE/4G and this enables businesses or people to connect to high-speed internet even if they are far away from a cell tower like on a ship, or in a plane. This is why we say that 5G brings with it the best of networks and technology and will be beneficial for businesses.
LTE/5G is a long-range mobile network with high bandwidth and high node density. All of this is what enables it to be the best and perform so well. So, while we have talked about the high bandwidth and long-range mobile network part, we have yet to talk about the high node density.
Let’s first take a step back and think about what nodes are. Nodes are the base stations in IoT, the Internet Of Things. Take an example of a factory or an office. Different areas of the factory or office floor are sectioned into zones called cells.
Each wireless device in the cell communicates via radio waves with the node, that is then connected to the broader telephone network, granting high-speed internet access. A worker moving between cells will not face service disruption, as the system transfers the user to the next zone easily.
Therefore, businesses can monitor sensors, instruments, machines, warehouse stock, or workers remotely using IoT. It makes real-time data available for decision-making.
Once upon a time, before 4G and 5G, we had 1G. 1G is the first generation of wireless cellular technology. 1G was introduced in the early 1980s and it supported voice calls only. In other words, we could say that 1G is an analog technology, and the phones that used this weren’t the best either. Compared to today, the phones had poor battery life, little to no security, weak voice quality, and were susceptible to dropped calls.
The maximum speed achieved by 1G technology was 2.4 Kbps. The analog technology used by 1G was AMPS, TACS, NMT, C-Netz, and J-TACS. These analog systems were based on FDMA technology. FDMA stands for Frequency Division Multiple Access and it uses a separate frequency band or bands to send and receive messages. The frequency bands are divided into multiple sub-frequencies called channels. These channels enable communication between the mobile phone and mobile network.
2G is the second generation of mobile networks that started almost ten years later in the early 1990s. 2G offered text messages, voice calls, and limited internet. The second generation of mobile networks widely used GSM, D-AMPS, and IS-95 technology standards. GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications, D-AMPS for Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System, and IS-95 for Interim Standard 95.
Furthermore, 2G mobile networks were based on TDMA and CDMA. TDMA stands for Time Division Multiple Access and CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. GSM added new network nodes in the architecture to provide mobile data services. The new network enhancement, that provided the nodes, is called General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). GPRS is also referred to as 2.5G as it paved the way for 3G data services. The 3G data services that came later used the same nodes introduced by GPRS: SGSN and GGSN.
The third generation of mobile networks is 3G and this offers voice, text, and data services. This generation of mobile networks uses UMTS (WCDMA) and CDMA2000. To make this simpler for you, let’s just say that UMTS is the 3G technology for GSM in 2G, whereas CDMA2000 is the 3G technology for IS-95 in 2G. These mobile networks are based on Wideband CDMA and Narrowband CDMA.
UMT stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunication System and its average data rate is around 384 kbps. It offers download data rates of up to 2 Mbps. CDMA2000 has the ability to support 153 kbps in the downlink and uplink. Later on, the data rates were enhanced through EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized). EVDO offers a maximum download speed of up to 14.7 Mbps and upload speeds of about 5.4 Mbps.
4G is the fourth generation of mobile networks. It is powered by LTE technology and it offers text messages, IP-based voice calls, and high-speed mobile data. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and it is the 4G technology for both UMTS and CDMA2000. LTE offers downlink data rates of about 300 Mbps. Additionally, it offers much lower latency compared to 3G networks. After the introduction of 4G LTE networks into the market, they have been a great option for reliable mobile broadband services.
Furthermore, after LTE, some upgrades were made and introduced in the form of LTE Advanced (LTE-A) and LTE Advanced Pro. Both of these are shown on the mobile as LTE+ and they can support speeds of up to 1 Gbps and 3 Gbps. On average, a 4G LTE Advanced network can offer speeds of up to 65 Mbps. LTE uses OFDMA radio access technology. OFDMA stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access and it supports a highly efficient modulation technique that generates higher data rates to make use of available frequency better. This modulation technique is called Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM).
The fifth and latest iteration of cellular technology is 5G and it offers speeds of around 150 to 200 Mbps. The latency rate for 5G networks is as low as one millisecond. 5G uses New Radio (NR) technology that is based on OFDMA much like LTE. However, it carries many differences compared to the previous generations of mobile networks. For example, it can operate in different frequency bands, whether high or low.
The higher frequency bands for 5G have limited coverage and low latency. This is why these are suitable for real-time applications like IoT, self-driving cars, etc. Lower frequency bands have higher latency, however, they sport much better coverage. These would be good to cover a wider geographical area.
Wired connections like fiber internet, cable internet, and more are all great and all. Especially if you have a good internet service like Astound internet or similar, however, there is always room for improvement. People and businesses are always on the lookout for the next best technology or the like.
After reading this blog, now you know why LTE/5G is exactly what your business needs. It is, no doubt, the technology of the future and the sooner you invest in it, the better it is for you. Aside from the ease a wireless mobile network will bring, you have so many other pros to benefit from. While you have amazing wired fiber connections, this will be the next level of connection you need!
The latest technology is 5G. It is the best among these options. 5G delivers the highest download and upload speeds, and it is the most reliable network. Even in terms of coverage, 5G is now available nationwide.
To check for internet plans in your area, we recommend using the website BuyTVInternetPhone, where you can enter your ZIP code and find the closest providers to you. You can also simply call their number: 855-349-9328.
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