3G vs. 4G Technology: Know the Difference between 3G and 4G Technology
Both of these are standards of mobile communication, but there is a major difference between 3G and 4G technology. We generally differentiate between both of these on the basis of technology compliance, rate of information transfer, types of connections, capacity, the processing design of information, and many more.
The 3G technology lets the mobile service providers sanction better services for information transfer and broadband than the 2G (second generation). The 4G LTE technology, on the other hand, delivers an even better capability for a faster, jury-rigged, and more stable experience for mobile broadband that permits various connections at a time.
What is 3G Technology?
The term 3G stands for the third generation. It is a generation for the standards of the services for mobile telecom, satisfying the IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunications – 2000). It provides a user with the ability to transfer data and voice simultaneously over the very same network in the form of instant messaging, emails, and downloads.
The 3G is the successor of 2G, and it delivers a comparatively better broadband capacity and supports a larger customer base for data and voice at a much lower incremental cost. The 3G communication performs voice communication via circuit switching and data communication via packet switching.
What is 4G Technology?
The term 4G stands for the fourth generation. It is basically a venture for developing and incorporating the 3G, 2G, Wireless LAN (WLAN), short-range systems, and fixed wire systems into a broadcast of a single network that is not only coherent and consistent but also functional.
In simpler words, the 4G is 3G technology’s extension that provides various capabilities as defined in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in IMT. The 3G technology includes various features such as flexibility, scalability, security, self-governance, and efficiency so as to support interfacing among various networks.
Added to this, it also comes with various new services that add to the existing services. The 4G technology comes with various customised services for multimedia, data, as well as voice at a very high data rate (this can go up to 500 Mbps). 4G also comes with some very advanced services compared to 2G and 3G, like gaming, 3D TV, video conferencing, IP telephony, etc.
Difference between 3G and 4G Technology
Let us talk about the differences between 3G and 4G technology. To make this topic more understandable and clear, we are comparing both of the terms based on their individual characteristics in a table.
| Parameters | 3G Technology | 4G Technology |
| Full Form | The term 3G is an abbreviation for the third generation technology. | The term 4G is an abbreviation for the fourth generation technology. |
| Maximum Upload Rate | It can go up to 5 Megabytes per second. | It can go much higher, about 500 Megabytes per second. |
| Maximum Rate of Download | The 3G technology offers a maximum download rate of about 21 Megabytes per second. | The 4G technology can download videos at a much faster rate, that can go as high as 1 Gigabyte per second. |
| Switching Techniques | It utilises the packet switching technique. | It utilises both the message switching as well as the packet switching techniques. |
| Range of Frequency | The frequency of the 3G technology ranges somewhat between 1.8 to 2.5 Gigahertz. | The frequency range of the 4G technology ranges somewhat between 2 to 8 Gigahertz. |
| Leniency | The 3G technology is horizontally lenient. | The 4G technology is both vertically as well as horizontally lenient. |
| Network Architecture | The network architecture of the 3G technology is a wide area cell-based one. | The network architecture of the 4G technology is cell-based for a wide area along with the integration of WLAN. |
| Error Correction | The 3G technology performs error correction using the turbo codes. | The 4G technology performs error correction using the concatenated codes. |
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