4G technology- a step ahead of 3G

WHAT NTT DOCOMO SAYS ABOUT 4G

At NTT DOCOMO, we aim to achieve a world of ubiquitous communications, where all manner of devices can connect seamlessly, anytime, anywhere. To do this, we are aggressively engaged in R&D on 4G technology. To enable a smooth transition from 3G to 4G, we are also evolving 3G technology within the context of current services.
One particular aspect of 3G development that we are promoting is Super 3G / LTE. The purpose of Super 3G is to simultaneously ease the transition to 4G and maintain 3G's long-term competitiveness relative to other wireless technologies by developing services based on W-CDMA, use of which is still growing steadily worldwide.
We are upgrading our current 3G services by initiating the introduction of High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), which increases the downlink data rate of packet services, and by finalizing specifications for High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), which enhances uplink speed. HSDPA and HSUPA not only increase transmission speed, however - they also increase transmission efficiency in the cover area by 3-4 times relative to W-CDMA, making them effective technologies for reducing cost per bit. As you can see, we are steadily achieving a data-efficient, cost-saving upgrade of W-CDMA in the run-up to full implementation of the 4G network.
Super 3G also proactively incorporates new technologies into wireless access systems in order to handle multimedia and ubiquitous traffic - data types that are rapidly becoming indispensable to modern life. Super 3G hopes to achieve a maximum downlink transmission speed of not less than 300 Mbps - a result that would realize dramatic improvements in performance. Super 3G is also counted on to further increase spectrum efficiency while substantially reducing latency. Achieving low latency is essential for improving transmission quality because it reduces the time required to initiate a session, enabling stress-free packet data transmission.
Our expectation is that Super 3G - the link between 3G and 4G - can be introduced with minimal investment in equipment and at low operational cost because it uses the same frequency band as 3G and can be deployed over already existing W-CDMA equipment.
Super 3G proposes to eliminate complexity from wireless networks and mobile handsets, enabling the construction of a simple, low-cost system. For example, a typical 3G network provides packet and voice services separately, whereas Super 3G is based on an ALL-IP network covering both packet and voice services. Moreover, introduction of an ALL-IP network for Super 3G will facilitate a smooth transition to 4G using a configuration that enables 4G wireless access capacity.
In pursuit of Super 3G standardization, NTT DOCOMO proposed a Super 3G Basic Concept to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in November 2004; 26 companies to date have agreed to consider standardization under the name Long Term Evolution (LTE). In June 2006, basic agreement was reached on the fundamental concept and its realization; the process has now advanced to discussion of technical specifications, which are expected to be finalized in September 2007.
NTT DOCOMO is meanwhile conducting R&D on 4G, with the aim of introducing it from 2010 onward. Designed performance ratings are 1 Gbps in motion at low speed and 100 Mbps at high speed. On December 25, 2006, NTT DOCOMO became the first in the world to achieve a packet signal speed of 5 Gbps in an outdoor test in a low-speed environment (10 km/h). The test was undertaken to demonstrate the expected maximum transmission speed in an actual cell environment, taking into account interference from peripheral cells. Looking ahead, NTT DOCOMO will continue its R&D on 4G, and collaborate proactively in international standardization.

After the launch of 3G in almost every corner of the world, the mobile companies, subscribers and analysts have started talking about the generation ahead- 4G. The companies are promising faster speeds and the ecstasy of being the first one to use a new ellipsis. Sprint Nextel Corp. is the first carrier to release its first 4G phone, the EVO, this week. 25 to 30 cities will receive Sprint’s 4G service. MetroPCS Communications Inc. is also scheduled to introduce its first 4G phone around the same time.
For consumers, 4G means, in the ideal case, faster access to data but broadly speaking; it’s a new way to use the airwaves, designed from the start for the transmission of data rather than phone calls. Other than that, it’s difficult to point to things 4G can do that 3G phones can’t. According to Matt Carter, president of Sprint’s 4G divisions, the upgrade to 4G is more likely to enhance the things one can already do with 3G and one should view it as the difference between watching regular TV and high-definition TV.
Another aspect to the point is that the introduction of 3G started in earnest about five years ago, but it isn’t complete and the improvement from 3G to 4G is not as dramatic as the step from 2G to 3G, which for the first time made real Web browsing, video and music downloads practical on phones.
AT&T and T-Mobile are using different 3G technology and so they can upgrade their 3G networks. Verizon and Sprint have maxed out their 3G speeds so taking the step to 4G is natural for them, especially when they have new chunks of the radio spectrum that they want to take advantage of.
There are certain advantages of 4G which take the 3G technology a step ahead. 4G is faster for quick back-and-forth communications something which is not noticed when surfing the Web or doing e-mail. 4G will work better for multiplayer gaming, where split-second timing is important and even phone calls could benefit from shorter audio delays.
 Worlds first comercial 4G service provider
Broadband provider TeliaSonera has launched the world's first commercial 4G service, it has announced.
The firm, which supplies telecommunication services to customers in Nordic and Baltic countries, has made long-term evolution (LTE) broadband available in two major European capitals.
Web users in Oslo, Norway, and Stockholm, Sweden, will be able to benefit from high transmission speeds and capacity on their laptops through the new service, TeliaSonera said.
The internet service provider added that 4G broadband will "open up new possibilities" such as advanced gaming and web TV broadcasting to customers.
Commenting on the service launch, TeliaSonera's President and Head of Mobility Services Kenneth Karlberg said he was "very proud" of the achievement.
He added: "The use of mobile broadband in the Nordic countries is exploding and customers need higher speeds and capacity. This is why we have launched 4G services in both Stockholm and Oslo."
Last week, UK broadband provider O2 announced it had been trialling LTE broadband technology in Slough, in conjunction with Huawei.