A Brief Overview of the Evolution of 4G - Final Words
(Page 5 of 5 )
Throughout this article we have examined the world of cellular phone systems and the standards of mobile communication technologies. First, we reminisced about some of the technologies from the past and then made our way toward the pre-4G and soon-to-be 4G era. By now, you should feel competent in this field as a reader.
We went on to explain the pre-4G possibilities, specifically WiMax and UMTS Revision 8 and the so-called 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution). Of course, as I said at the beginning of this article, there is some kind of "war" going on right now and the main motivator is money because both of these are really profitable. Determining which becomes the "de facto standard" and ubiquitous is the objective.
Sure, there is still the possibility of having two standards; history has proven it. Back in the early days of 2G, very few people could believe that both GSM and CDMA would both survive. However, we must accept the fact that the GSM has achieved greater success than CDMA. According to the GSM Association, 82 percent of the world uses the GSM standard, with more than two billion customers from 212+ countries.
GSM was "expanded" by technologies such as the GPRS and EDGE, so it's not a traditional slow-performance standard by any means. It's performing well enough, but most importantly, due to its extreme popularity, worldwide roaming is almost always possible. This is where the real benefit comes from, and maintaining "backwards-compatibility" with GSM is crucial for any future standard.
Right now, we, the consumers, shouldn't really bother ourselves with what standard will achieve "world domination" and when it will happen. That is, if we aren't involved in the development and we aren't investors in any major corporation that funds it. There's lots of money in this war. Actually, we should call it a race between the competitors. The first one that reaches the finish line is the winner.
We're sure that in the future, the time will come when you are going to read an article here on DevHardware reviewing the new 4G standard with real-world accurate examples. Whether it will happen in 2009 or 2010, we cannot predict. Chances are, thought, that it will be the latter, at least until it gains some acceptance.
Should you need more information regarding 3GPP LTE, then I suggest the following abstract: "The 3G Long-Term Evolution - Radio Interface Concepts and Performance Evaluation." Other than this, don't forget to keep an eye on the official sites of both projects: 3GPP and WiMAX. These should be your main targets when looking for news.
We'll see. Until then, don't hesitate to join our friendly community of experts at DevHardware Forums and initiate a topic on the subject presented in this article. But you shouldn't limit yourself because we are professionals in every area of Software and Hardware Development, as well as Consumer Electronics. Meet you at the forums!
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
