Every generation aspires to outdo its ancestors. That’s true for both people and cellular technologies.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) defines the criteria that each new technology must meet in order to wear the label of 3G, 4G, and now 5G. For example, 4G devices and networks must be capable of supporting speeds of up to 100 Mbps in high-mobility environments, such as when users are in cars or trains, and up to 1 Gbps in stationary environments.
When the first LTE devices and networks launched in 2009, they didn’t meet all of the ITU’s 4G criteria. As a result, LTE was marketed as entry point to the world of true 4G. For example, mobile operators and device OEMs often marketed their services and handsets as “4G LTE.”
It’s worth remembering that LTE stands for “Long Term Evolution.” Each new 3GPP standard enabled LTE networks and devices to meet and then exceed ITU 4G performance benchmarks. For example, with peak speeds of 1 Gbps, LTE Advanced (LTE-A) leapfrogs LTE’s minimum threshold of 100 Mbps.
4G also ushered in the era of antenna diversity, which improves reliability and data speeds. 4G smartphones, tablets, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices initially began using multiple input single output (MISO) architectures, where both antennas can transmit and receive. As 4G technology matured, devices began migrating to multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas.
Expanding Use Cases for 4G
Each new 3GPP standard for 4G also enabled additional use cases and new business opportunities. For example LTE Broadcast is designed to provide the same content to a wide audience simultaneously in a way that doesn’t overload networks.
4G also has evolved in ways that benefit applications that need affordability and long battery life more than a super-fast connection. For instance, asset trackers, pet trackers, utility meters, agricultural sensors, and other IoT devices can take advantage of LTE Cat M1 and LTE Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT).
5G Raises the bar
5G made its commercial debut in 2019 and is on track to surpass 4G this year in the North America market. That rapid adoption highlights the demand for capabilities beyond 4G. For example, 5G supports peak speeds of up to 20 Gbps, which is 20 times faster than LTE-A, and latencies as low as 1 millisecond versus 30-70 msec for 4G.
5G also is designed to work in a wider range of spectrum than 4G. One example is the millimeter wave (mmWave) band, which is ideal for short-range, bandwidth-intensive applications, such as live HD video feeds from drones and residential broadband.
Like 4G, 5G is continually evolving and adding capabilities to meet market requirements. One example is RedCap, which sometimes is described as a bridge between 4G and 5G because it supports many of the same use case requirements as LTE Cat 1 through Cat 4, such as sub-100 Mbps throughput. Named for being a reduced capability version of 5G, RedCap is a good fit for fitness trackers, medical wearables, smart utility meters, industrial sensors, and other IoT devices that need to remain in service for several years. RedCap also maximizes battery life with mechanisms such as discontinuous reception (DRX), where the device puts itself to sleep to save power. (For more information, see “With 5G RedCap, Less is More for IoT.”)
Which Technology is Right for Your Application?
Although 4G and 5G are significantly different technologies, device OEMs, systems integrators, and their customers can use the same basic set of questions to narrow down their options:
- Does a technology provide the uplink and downlink speeds, latency, battery life, and other capabilities that your application requires?
- How long will your devices need to remain in service? Mobile operators eventually sunset their legacy networks to free up spectrum for the latest generation. But on the other hand, the legacy technology has had a decade or more to ride down the cost curve. That can be a major advantage for highly cost-sensitive applications such as IoT.
- Do mobile operators in your target markets support that technology both in terms of capabilities and coverage? 4G has had over 15 years to build out coverage, including indoors and in rural areas. Coverage directly affects the addressable market for a device because consumers and businesses won’t buy something that can’t reliably connect wherever they are.
- Do chipset vendors and antenna providers offer products that meet those operators’ certification requirements and work in the bands where they’re licensed?
All of this is a lot to consider, which is why savvy device OEMs, systems integrators, and end users turn to a trusted expert that can provide insights into standards evolution, operator roadmaps, and other key factors. To learn more about how to select the right antenna, speak to Taoglas’ Engineering team by clicking on the button below.
