How fast 4G, how long, expensive

Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the first batch of 4G mobile network access licenses in China. Four TD-LTE mobile phones from ZTE, Huawei, and Samsung have obtained the first 4G mobile network access license. In addition, the news that 4G licenses were issued during the year was proposed. It is only a matter of time for 4G to be commercially available and enter ordinary people's lives. 4G and 3G will inevitably coexist for some time, but the rise of 4G will undoubtedly change people's mobile communication life once again.



How fast is 4G -

The maximum download speed of 4G mobile phones exceeds 100M per second, and the speed-demanding services such as more than 10 times the speed of mainstream 3G network video calls, high-definition television, Internet games, and movie downloads will no longer be a problem for users.

4G is actually the abbreviation of the fourth generation of mobile communication technology, but the simple expression makes it a synonym for the new era of mobile communications. Because the 4G standard is designed for higher bandwidth, lower latency, more flexible access, and higher service quality guarantees, it can better meet the user experience in the high-speed mobile Internet era.

Compared with the current 3G mobile Internet, the 4G era network speed will be greatly improved. At present, the maximum download speed of 4G mobile phones exceeds 100M per second, which is more than 10 times the speed of mainstream 3G networks.

In a 4G network environment, download a 2GB HD movie in just a few minutes. Moreover, the user delay when using is less than 0.05 seconds, which is about 1/4 of 3G. Even at a high speed of several hundred kilometers per hour, 4G can still provide smooth service.

At present, 4G mainly includes two mainstream standards of TD-LTE in China and FDD-LTE abroad. Taking the TD-LTE trial network that China Mobile has deployed in some cities as an example, the measured downlink rate has exceeded 100 Mbit/s, which is close to The theoretical peak level; the average throughput rate of the cell is generally 20-30M per second.

In the 4G era, high-speed services such as video calls, high-definition television, Internet games, and movie downloads will no longer be a problem for users. The number of mobile Internet users is expected to further increase. Ultimately, from human to human interconnection to the interconnection of people and networks, and the interconnection of objects and networks, 4G will provide a solid foundation for the construction of smart cities in China.



How often do you use 4G?

In the first half of next year, major cities in China are expected to achieve 4G network coverage. Consumers will not spend more on 4G than 3G. Industry experts said that the widespread adoption of 4G depends on the issuance of licenses, the deployment and improvement of 4G networks, and mobile services. The maturity and popularity of the terminal and other factors. The issuance of 4G licenses is expected to be implemented within the year. At the same time, China Mobile is also in the process of bidding and procurement of more than 200,000 TD-LTE base stations, covering more than 300 major urban areas in the country. It is expected that the deployment will be completed in the first half of 2014, when major cities across the country will achieve 4G network coverage.

Due to the advanced nature of 4G technology, the network carrying capacity has been doubled. While 4G networks can provide higher capacity, they do not significantly increase the cost of network construction for operators and may even be optimized compared to the early days of 3G. Therefore, it is expected that the tariff policies of operators in the 4G era will be more flexible. Consumers will not spend more on 4G than 3G.

In the era of 3G, in the communications standards, the EU dominated GSM/WCDMA, the United States dominated CDMA and its subsequent evolution, and China dominated TD-SCDMA. Therefore, mobile phones of various standards have also emerged, causing little trouble for consumers. Will this be the case in the 4G era?

In response to the issue of whether the 4G standard is dominated by China or foreign standards, experts in the field of mobile communications believe that with the continuous increase in technological complexity and the increasing demand for global interconnection and intercommunication, communication technologies and industrial standards have evolved from the past 2G and 3G eras. Several representative developed countries dominate and gradually move toward openness and integration. In the future, it is very likely that there will be a "same standard in the same world." This standard is unlikely to be dominated by a unilateral force, but more so Patents and intellectual property rights are safeguarded through exchanges.

In 4G and even future 5G technologies and industrial standards, due to the emphasis on intellectual property investment, China's telecommunications companies will enjoy sufficient initiative and voice. Currently, ZTE has accumulated nearly 50,000 global patents and 14,000 authorized patents. In the past two years, ZTE has consistently ranked first in the world in PCT international patent applications. In addition, the data shows that since 2010, Huawei has contributed the most 4G standard patents, ranking first in the world.



4G mobile phone is not expensive -

From the aspect of appearance and hardware configuration, the difference between 4G mobile phones and 3G mobile phones is not obvious. The threshold of 4G mobile phones is relatively high, but it does not mean that the high price only depends on appearance and hardware configuration. The difference between 4G mobile phones and 3G mobile phones is not obvious, but then When you enter the mobile Internet via a high-speed 4G network, the Internet speed will be several times faster than 3G. At the same time, 4G era emphasizes sharing and experience. This will be reflected in various 4G terminals including mobile phones, tablet computers and even 4G TVs.

Take the ZTE U9815 mobile phone with the first TD-LTE standard 4G mobile phone network access certificate in China as an example, it can support four modes including 2G, 3G and two 4G standards, enabling high-speed data and voice to be online at the same time. In terms of appearance, it continues its 3G era mobile phone configuration, but the processor is more powerful. Based on the smooth operation experience, taking into account the delicate display effect and "home theater" type of entertainment configuration, can better match the 4G network up to 100M speed.

Due to objective factors such as the industrial chain, the threshold for 4G handsets is still relatively high, but this does not mean that 4G handsets are equal to high prices. Still taking ZTE's above-mentioned 4G handset as an example, it is currently listed in Hong Kong, equivalent to a RMB price of less than RMB 3,000. From a price/performance perspective, this is even closer to the price of many 3G handsets currently sold.