4G vs 4G LTE – An In Depth Comparison

We will be honest when admitting that the marketing of cellular technology is very complicated. Nowhere is that more evident than when you examine 4G and 4G LTE – they sound the same, they seem to be the same thing, and they have similar attributes.

4G and 4G LTE also happened to come into the tech scene at around the same time, as they were both touted by experts to be the next generation of telecommunication technology, as an upgrade from 3G. While the terms are normally used interchangeably, they are actually different – and we will aim to compare them in this article, explain their relation to both 5G and 3G cellular networks, and explain why one of them is a better choice than the other.

A general consensus to use is that the ‘G’ in 4G stands for ‘generation’, and therefore 4G is the fourth generation in mobile communications technology. On the other hand, 4G LTE or LTE is an acronym for ‘Long-Term Evolution’ and is more applicable to the task of improving broadband speeds in order to satisfy increasing demand.

What are the differences between 4G and 4G LTE?

	4G (T-Mobile)	4G LTE (Verizon) (Winner)
Average speed in connection	50 Mbps	100 Mbps
Average download speeds	100 Mbps	50 Mbps
Average upload speeds	1000 Mbps	500 Mbps
	Check here	Check here

 

4G vs 4G LTE – How they compare

As you will see throughout this article, 4G and 4G LTE are not that different. They do have some distinctions though, which include:

The resources they require

In order to create 4G connectivity, you will need two components – a device that can connect to a network and perform high-speed downloads, and a network that can support the needed speeds. You will not get a guarantee of the speeds you want just because a phone has 4G capability though – because it also depends on the area where you operate and whether it has 4G equipment.

That said, LTE is more accessible compared to 4G overall, because it requires less than 4G networks, even though it is slightly slower than the 4G network. Even if you have a phone that can access and use LTE, it can switch to a 3G network, depending on what is available – and still provide a faster ability to connect to the internet as well as handling voice calls.

In order to take full advantage of 4G, the device you use must have full 4G support, not simply LTE. That means that any older device that uses LTE but came just before 4G deployment cannot access it, although newer devices have the capacity to support 4G networks.

We prefer the 4G LTE because of it greater accessibility, as using the 4G network requires you to have 4G-compatible equipment, while LTE is more flexible in its demands.

Speeds

In the simplest of terms, the difference between LTE and 4G is that LTE is slightly slower than 4G. The reason behind this is simple – 4G actually meets the technical standards that are set for it, while LTE acts as more of a stopgap measure that bridges the gap between 3G and 4G (which is also why LTE is more accessible).

With that in mind, the average consumer might not be in a position to tell the difference between LTE and 4G, because the differences in speed are rarely apparent unless you live and work in a major city. The continuing effort by developers to close the gap between LTE and 4G is also a factor, especially with the development of LTE-A, a faster option of LTE.

The 4G is the better option here as it has higher speeds, as it meets the standards in the industry.

4G vs 4G LTE – A comparison review

4G – Overview

4G is basically the fourth generation of telecommunications technology, and is a successor of the third generation (3G) and second generation (2G). There are specific regulations that govern the development of 4G networks, which are set by the ITU-R (International Telecommunications Union Radio communications) Sector, and are:

• A 4G network needs to have a peak speed of 1Gbit/s to handle ‘low mobility’ connections (devices that are stationary or in use by pedestrians)
• The network should have a peak speed of 100Mbit/s to handle ‘high mobility’ connections (such as in a vehicle)

Even though ITU-R sets the 4G standard though, it has no control on what manufacturers of cellphones will market as 4G because it is not a regulatory body. This leads to confusion among users, because the 4G speed that many people use is not actual 4G, it is LTE.

However, the great thing about 4G despite the confusion is the ability to let you enjoy digital media on your phone device – which includes high-quality music, rich multimedia apps, and streaming of videos. It has continued to grow in utility, with it becoming the default standard today instead of years past, unless you are in a zone where there is no 4G network.

Pros

• Easy to use it in accessing the internet, streaming media, video calling, social networks, and IM
• Allows for quick downloading of files over wireless networks
• Higher bandwidth
• It has very high voice quality
• Ten times faster compared to 3G

Cons

• Higher data prices for users
• New frequencies will require new components in cell towers
• It is impossible to make current equipment compatible with 4G networks

4G LTE – Overview

As we explained before, LTE is an acronym for Long Term Evolution. It is not really considered in the networking world as a technology, but rather a pathway to achieve 4G speed. The confusion came from the ‘4G’ symbol you find in most phones, even though the actual technology in use was LTE.

There is a good reason behind this, though. When the ITU-R set the criteria for classifying a 4G network, the tech manufacturers eventually found the criteria impossible to reach, no matter the amounts of money they poured into the venture. The response from the regulatory body was that tech companies could label their LTE as 4G, as long as it has significant improvements over 3G technology.

The immediate result was that tech companies began to advertise their LTE connections as 4G LTE, which allowed for them to achieve the claim of next-generational connectivity, even though they had not reached the required number to satisfy the criteria. While the intention was great, the result was mainly inconsistent speed that depends on the network and location.

It is like that you have come across the term LTE-A, which is a term that stands for Long Term Evolution Advanced, and it is a step closer to actual 4G standards than even LTE – this is because it offers greater stability and faster speeds compared to normal LTE.

Pros

• Reduces the traffic in sending data
• Supports greater data capacity due to focusing more on VoIP (voice over internet protocol)
• Can facilitate current applications to perform at better speeds
• Increases your connection rates and speeds to the internet because it allows more users to access the same frequency
• Can use VoLGA to support SMS text messaging and voice through existing networks
• Offers faster data transfer rates compared to 3G networks

Cons

• Startup costs for service providers is high because it still needs new equipment

Verdict: So what is better? 4G or 4G LTE?

Comparing these two very similar technologies, we find that the 4G LTE is the better option as it can handle transitions from older technology to new ones more seamlessly. That means, you can still access it even if you have a device that supports 3G technology, and therefore it becomes more accessible to the general population, while still giving high speeds and connectivity.