Next generation mobile technologies, including 3G and 4G wireless, offer consumers an expanded range of mobile communications options beyond the advances made possible by the second-generation wireless technology of the 1990s. Whereas cellular phone services such as SMS texting followed the evolution from original analog to digital 2G technology, next-generation mobile technologies provide for handheld access to richer data services such as websites, multimedia, video conferencing and location-based applications including local mapping and weather reports.
A range of different mobile devices include built-in 3G or 4G wireless connectivity, including smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and netbook and laptop computers. Several mobile network technologiesare generally considered to be 3G or 4G, including EV-DO, WCDMA, HSPA, HSPA+, LTE, and mobile WiMAX.
A Faster Future: 4G and White Space
Tom Peters, chief engineer, FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, discusses the national broadband plan and the future of spectrum.
Watch the video.