4G is the Fourth Generation of Mobile Telecommunications Technology
which is next to 3G Technology.
4G Technology provides different services along with the services
available in 3G Technology. Some of them are Mobile Web, Gaming Services, HD
Mobile TV, Cloud Computing, 3D Television, and mainly Video Conferencing. 4G
helps in high data transfer rates which makes use in USB Wireless
Modems for Laptops and in Wireless home Access.
International Telecommunications Union-Radio Communications (ITU-R)
sector specified a set of requirements for 4G standard, called as International
Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced). It specifies requirements of
4G standards at 100 Mbps (Megabits Per Second) for high mobility communications
like Trains and Cars and 1 Gbps (Gigabit Per Second) for low mobility
communications like stationery and pedestrian users.
There are two 4G Standards called The Mobile WiMAX standard and Long
Term Evolution (LTE). The Mobile WiMAX is first used in South Korea in 2007 and
LTE is first released in Oslo, Norway along with Stockholm, Sweden in 2009.
MetroPCS is the first operator to offer LTE services in 2010. But LTE
smartphones are not compatible with different frequency bands available in
different continents. WiMAX 2 (Wireless MAN-Advanced) and LTE-A (LTE-Advanced)
are IMT-Advanced compatible versions.
In India, Bharti Airtel launched first 4G services using TD-LTE
Technology (It is one of the two variants of LTE Technology) on April 10,
2012.The group consisting of Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, and SoftBank Mobile (previously
called as Vodafone Japan) together called the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) in
Spain signed an agreement towards TD-LET standards for Asian Region.
Firstly, Bharti Airtel’s 4G services are available in Bangalore, Pune,
Chandigarh and Kolkata. It was launched 4G on Mobile in Bangalore on February
14, 2014. It was the first in India to launch 4G on Mobiles. It expanded its 4G
services to many cities in Punjab in July 2014.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) with Jio Infocomm Ltd launched its 4G
services only in Jamnagar. RIL was testing TD-LTE technology. By 2015, RIL
planned to launch 4G in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and to cover 700 cities in
India.
Aircel launched 4G services in Telengana, Assam, Bihar, and Odisha
(Orissa) in July 2014.
BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) was decided to launch its 4G
services by March 2015 in India.