Comparison of 4g cellular communication standards. Mobile Internet

High-speed 4G Internet is quite widespread in Russia, given its vast territory. Approximately 50% of the entire country is within 4G coverage. This technology has existed in the market of mobile operator services for more than 5 years. Over time, tariffs began to appear that are used for home purposes on several devices. Such rapid development led to the emergence of 4G+ technology, which is still new to most users today. In this article you will learn how 4G differs from 4G+ and the main characteristics of these standards. Read instructions on our website on how to connect it and configure it.

Description 4G

Many users probably notice that the abbreviations 4G and LTE are almost always used together. From a technical point of view, this use is incorrect. However, due to marketing pressure, this marking was recognized as official by the International Telecommunication Union.

The fact is that LTE is the very first generation of 4G networks. It is considered transitional from 3G to a new generation. Initially, LTE capabilities did not correspond to those specified for 4G. But later the ITU officially recognized this technology in the 4G classification. The speed of LTE differs from full-fledged 4G for the worse. “Real” 4G should have a throughput of up to 1Gb/s. In LTE networks, this parameter in real life and everyday use comes up to 100Mb/s (some operators claim more). On our website you will find.

With the development of technology, an advanced version of LTE Advanced appears, which is true 4G. Marketers decided to call this standard 4G Plus and present it to users as a completely new technology. Now you know the difference between 4G and 4G+.

For example, you can take Megafon 4g Plus. Megafon was the first to have the opportunity to distribute this standard to the masses. At first, the network operated only within the Garden Ring, but is now confidently developing throughout the country.

Which is better: 4G or 4G+?

Having touched on the topic of distribution, we smoothly moved on to another difference between the 4g Internet and 4g+. In Russia, the network of the new standard is distributed by only two operators - Megafon and Beeline. If you look at the coverage area of ​​4G+ (LTE Advanced), you can be very upset - the network extends to a small number of large cities, Moscow and the Moscow region. Therefore, it makes no sense to connect to such a tariff while living outside the specified territory. Things are somewhat different with regular 4G LTE, whose coverage area is much larger. If we compare 4g vs 4g+ nationwide, then 4G LTE definitely wins: with a good connection, the speed is more than enough for most users, you can connect and use it in more cities.

What is the difference between a 4g modem and a 4g+?

In terms of devices for receiving and distributing the Internet, there are practically no differences. If you purchase one router or modem for both types of network, you can’t go wrong. Buy devices immediately when connecting in a showroom or on the website of Megafon and Beeline operators. Do you want to know? Then check out the useful article in the next section.

While using the mobile Internet, you, of course, noticed that when a connection is established, different letters and abbreviations appear in the top quick access bar on the phone: H, H+, LTE, 3G, 4G and others. They indicate the type of connection on which the speed of data transmission and reception depends.

Explanation of symbols and characteristics of connection types

Knowing the meaning of the symbols and the basic parameters of each type of connection, you can understand what speed to expect with the existing signal level. In most cases, the mobile device itself selects the fastest available communication protocol and makes it possible to use the Internet through it.

Mobile device shows the type of network being used

The following factors influence the choice of network connection type:

• the place where you are: indoors or at a great distance from large cities, the most modern and fast protocols (for example, 4G) may not be available, and the device will select the type of connection that will work, albeit slowly;
• tariff used: many tariffs do not provide for the use of the high-speed 4G protocol, allowing connection only to 3G and slower connection types;
• technical characteristics of the device: not all mobile devices support the maximum network access speed, so in order to find out how many megabytes per second your phone can send, you need to read the documentation on the official website of the manufacturer.

3G

Alternative names are 3rd Generation and UMTS. This is the most common Internet connection format these days. The number "3" denotes the third generation of communication protocols. Initially, the speed of this type of connection did not exceed 384 Kbps, but now, under favorable conditions, it can reach 21 Mbps. However, most often you will get speeds of up to 2 Mbps on your phone or tablet.

The advantages of the 3G mode include the fact that it is inferior in speed only to a 4G connection, but is available almost everywhere. But if you move faster than 30 km/h by car or train, the connection speed begins to decrease.

The speed of mobile Internet in 4G networks is many times higher than in any other

H, 3.5G, H+, 3G+

Type H is an improved version of 3G, based on HSDPA - High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access technology. H+, 3.5G and 3G+ are also add-ons to the 3G mode that use the HSPA+ protocol. They allow you to develop higher data transfer rates: under ideal conditions, when using a dual-channel version of the HSDPA protocol - up to 21 Mbit/s, and in the basic mono-channel version of the HSPA+ protocol - up to 22 Mbit/s. In reality, however, the speed in both protocols usually does not exceed 3.8 Mbit/s.

3.75G

This option is rarely seen as phones usually don't display it in the status bar even though they actually use it. The connection is carried out using the DC-HSPA+ protocol - an improved version of HSPA. Its maximum speed is two times higher than that of the H option - 42 Mbit/s, since it implements two-channel interaction. The best performance of networks of this type is comparable to the average performance of a 4G connection.

4G, LTE

4G (fourth generation networks) are the fastest available at the moment. But only if they implement the LTE (Long Term Evolution) protocol. Initially, 4G networks used WiMAX technology, and their speed did not exceed 40 Mbit/s. But today almost all telecom operators use the LTE protocol.

There are two types of LTE connections: LTE FDD and LTE TDD. Their main difference is the distribution of the available frequency range. But regardless of which version of the protocol is used, the data transfer speed can theoretically reach values ​​from 100 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s, and in reality - more than 40 Mbit/s.

4G networks, however, have a number of disadvantages:

• the cost of Internet access in them is higher than in 3G networks, so switching to a tariff that supports 4G is only worth it if you download large files or watch videos via the mobile Internet;
• The coverage area, that is, the area where a 4G connection is available, is much smaller than that of 3G, so be prepared to be left without fast Internet if you go out of town.

The coverage areas of 3G and 4G networks in Russia are shown below. In the upper part there is a 4G coverage area, in the lower part - 3G. It can be seen that the 3G network coverage of the territory is much denser, especially at great distances from large cities.

3G network coverage is much denser

4G+, LTE-A

The 4G+ standard is the next stage in the development of networks based on the 4G protocol and supports LTE-Advanced technology. It allows you to combine used frequencies, resulting in increased connection speed.

The maximum speed depends on the specific implementation of LTE-A capabilities by the telecom operator. In some cases, you can get up to 450 Mbps, which is faster than wired connections.

G (General Packet Radio Service)

A very old standard, which at one time was positioned as an improved version of 2G - it was called 2.5G. It works using the GPRS protocol - an improved version of the GSM protocol.

This is, of course, the slowest type of communication of all those described, since its maximum speed does not exceed 200 Kbps. A page on a regular website without a large number of images and other media elements will take about a minute to load in this mode. But sometimes it is possible to connect to such a network in places where 3G and 4G are not available.

E (or EDGE - Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution)

EDGE is not 3G yet, but is already closer to it. The second name of this option is 2.75G. This puncture appeared after G. It is capable of providing a maximum speed of about 300–400 Kbps.

Video: comparison of 3G and 4G connection speeds

The fastest internet these days is available over a 4G+ or 4G connection. The second fastest option is 3G+ and H+, then H and 3G. The slowest options, which work just a little faster than the regular 2G protocol, are G and E. At the same time, the coverage area of ​​the Internet using the most modern technology is relatively small, and you can catch a 3G, G or E network in most populated areas of the country.

27.10.2015

In the previous article we already looked at third generation standards under the general name . However, communications of the fourth generation - 4G - are spreading rapidly. The main standard in 4G at the moment is LTE. Strictly speaking, LTE was not the first fourth-generation standard; the first widespread one was the WiMAX standard. Yota worked there for the first time, and some operators still use WiMAX. The maximum WiMAX speed is 40 Mbit/s, but real figures range from 10 to 20 Mbit/s.

But let's return to LTE. It is now the most widespread in the world in general and in Russia in particular. But what is 4G LTE? LTE (from English) Long-Term Evolution) is a standard for wireless high-speed data transmission for mobile devices. It is based on the same GSM/UMTS protocols, but theoretical and real data transfer speeds in LTE networks are much higher, sometimes even superior to wired connections!

LTE FDD and LTE TDD: what are the differences?

The LTE standard comes in two types, the differences between which are quite significant. FDD- Frequency Division Duplex (frequency separation of incoming and outgoing channels)
TDD- Time Division Duplex (time separation of incoming and outgoing channels). Roughly speaking, FDD is parallel LTE and TDD is serial LTE. For example, with a channel width of 20 MHz in FDD LTE, part of the range (15 MHz) is given for download, and part (5 MHz) for upload. Thus, the channels do not overlap in frequencies, which allows you to work simultaneously and stably for loading and unloading data. In TDD LTE, the same 20 MHz channel is completely given over to both downloading and uploading, and the data is transmitted to both sides alternately, with downloading still having priority. In general, FDD LTE is preferable because it works faster and more stable.

LTE frequencies

LTE networks (FDD and TDD) operate on different frequencies in different countries. In many countries, several frequency ranges are used at once. It is worth noting that not all equipment can work on different “bands”, i.e. frequency ranges. FDD ranges are numbered from 1 to 31, TDD ranges from 33 to 44. There are additionally several standards that have not yet been assigned numbers. Specifications for frequency bands are called bands (BAND). In Russia and Europe, band 7, band 20, band 3 and band 38 are mainly used.

Here is a list of frequency ranges of 4G LTE networks in Russia of the Big Five operators. There are also regional 4G LTE networks of local operators operating in other frequency bands, but their consideration is not necessary within the scope of this article.

The most important criterion, which is of particular interest to subscribers, i.e. users of 4G LTE networks, is the data transfer speed. And the speed primarily depends on the width of the frequency range of a particular operator, as well as the type of duplex used in the network. For example, for a 10 MHz channel, the 4G LTE speed will be 75 Mbit/s. It is at this nominal speed that the LTE FDD (band 7) networks of Tele2, MTS and operators operate. What about Megafon? And Megafon can afford more. Because several years ago there was a merger, or rather the absorption of Yota by Megafon, now Megafon has licenses for Yota frequencies, respectively, the maximum channel width can reach 40 MHz in the frequency range of 2600 MHz (band 7), which in theory gives as much as 300 Mbit/s! But basically the Megafon 4G network operates in a 15-20 MHz channel, which gives a download speed of 100-150 Mbit/s. After all, something must be left for Iota.

LTE-Advanced, or 4G+

The next stage in the development of 4G LTE networks is the LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) standard. Some operators call this technology 4G+ for marketing purposes, but this is completely incorrect. Those. in fact, it is LTE-Advanced that is truly 4G. Data transfer speeds in the LTE-A network are significantly higher than conventional LTE. The main feature of LTE-Advanced is the aggregation of frequency ranges. A subscriber device with LTE-A support summarizes data transmission channels in different frequency ranges available to the operator. For example, combining several frequency ranges in the 2600 MHz band, a channel of 40 MHz is obtained, which gives a speed in the LTE-Advanced network of 300 Mbit/s. But this is far from the limit. If you add another 20 MHz from the 1800 MHz band, you get a 60 MHz channel (band 7 + band 3), and that’s already 450 Mbit/s! However, these are theoretical or bench speeds. In reality, they are of course much smaller, but nevertheless, LTE-Advanced wireless technology is quite close to wired speeds.

It is worth noting that all operators can aggregate different channels in different frequency ranges if they have the appropriate licenses and network infrastructure. The main task is to expand the frequency range. The wider it is, the higher the maximum speed, i.e. network bandwidth. But of course there must be subscriber equipment that supports LTE-Advanced.

Prospects for 4G LTE

Despite the fact that the 4G LTE standard appeared several years ago, many regions of our country still do not even have 3G networks. So there is still room to grow. The world is already testing 5th generation (5G) networks, but in real conditions 4G LTE networks will dominate for a long time, fortunately operators are actively developing them.

In many cases, 4G Internet is not only an alternative to a wired connection, but also the only option, including an economically feasible one. Remote objects, the laying of wires to which involves certain difficulties or risks, and sometimes is completely impossible, also need to be connected. It is often possible to connect to 4G Internet even where there is no LTE network coverage. For this purpose special , which catch and amplify the 4G LTE signal. To choose the right antenna, you need to know which operator’s network you need to catch, at what frequency it operates, and also in what duplex mode (FDD or TDD). Our They will determine the type of signal, measure its parameters, and select the appropriate equipment to ensure fast and stable access to the Internet via the 4G LTE network.

Today, Russian mobile operators are actively expanding the coverage area of ​​fourth generation networks. LTE is a term used to refer to networks with a throughput of at least 10 Mbit/s. 4G networks are a new communication standard, which is characterized, first of all, by fast connections and high quality voice calls.

List of LTE frequencies used by Russian mobile operators

The 4G networks of each domestic operator are located in a certain frequency range. The presented table contains information about LTE bands (from the English Band), which are supported in our country:

The LTE standard is not compatible with second and third generation networks, so special data transmission channels were allocated for it. Band is the frequency bands of any LTE network. The band number indicates the period when the given range began to be used in the world (there are currently 44 bands).

The bands presented in the table are used by each cellular operator. It should be noted that these frequency ranges are constantly expanding, which allows providers to provide Internet connections to a larger number of users.

In some cases, operators unite to build cell towers: a similar agreement was concluded in 2016 by Beeline and Megafon. Another example of cooperation was the agreement between Beeline and MTS, according to which the operators use common frequencies in the territory of some constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

The acquisition of bend frequencies occurs through open bidding, in which providers buy the right to broadcast their signal on certain channels. MTS, for example, spent 4 billion rubles on the 2500 MHz band, distributed throughout the Russian Federation except the Moscow region and Crimea. Tele2 was the first to launch 4G in the Kaliningrad region and a number of other regions of our country at a frequency of 450 MHz.

4G LTE networks in Russia

Now you can familiarize yourself with the table, which presents the current characteristics of fourth generation networks in the Russian Federation.

In addition to the five federal operators, there are also regional ones, each of which has its own frequency network.

Upper and lower frequencies

From a financial point of view, the development of LTE networks at lower frequencies (less than 2000 MHz) is most profitable for operators. Such frequencies penetrate buildings better, but are not able to provide high-speed connections to areas with high population density.

The functions of the upper frequencies are opposite to the functions of the lower ones, so the best option for a high-quality connection is a combination of both frequency channels, which allows you to get rid of “shadow” areas over large spaces.

Also in megacities, there is a tendency to install special devices on the roofs of office buildings to facilitate the spread of high-speed networks indoors.

Basic LTE modes

The LTE standard is divided into two types: TDD and FDD.

The first implies temporal (from the English Time) division of the signal, and the second - frequency (from the English Frequency). FDD is a more convenient communication mode because, from the point of view of everyday use, it is more stable.

The difference between these concepts lies in the method of loading and unloading data. Thanks to FDD, parallel processing of incoming and outgoing Internet traffic occurs.

Imagine that a user is watching a video on YouTube and at the same time uploading an entire album of photos to the cloud storage. Watching a video will be considered a download operation, and sending a photo will be an upload, and in FDD mode the gadget distributes both operations over different frequency channels.

For example, LTE from the Russian Megafon operates at a frequency of 17 MHz, 11 of which can be used for downloading content, and the remaining 6 for uploading.

Separate traffic processing increases the stability of the speed of each individual process, thereby ensuring a better connection.

TDD processes traffic sequentially. In other words, over the same 17 MHz, both downloading and uploading of data will be carried out - but without separation, but alternately in one channel. The disadvantage of this mode is possible “jumps” in speed.

Currently, Russian cellular operators are striving to combine the operation of TDD and FDD stations. By combining modes into one network, providers increase the overall connection speed.

LTE-advanced technology (4G+)

LTE-advanced is an “advanced” 4G network and is designated by Russian operators as 4G+. Although this name emphasizes the increase in speed of the new standard, it is not correct, since LTE-A in its actual performance is regular 4G. What is called 4G in Russia is significantly inferior to the nominal standards of fourth generation networks.

The advantage of the advanced standard is the summation of all frequencies owned by the cellular operator, which reduces the “sag” factor in the data transmission channel. By merging several band 7 bands into one, Megafon was able to increase the theoretical connection speed to 300 Mbit/s.

If we add band 3 frequencies to the frequencies of band 7, then the data transfer speed will be 450 Mbit/s (40 MHz + 20 MHz = 300 Mbit/s + 150 Mbit/s). Unfortunately, the actual throughput of advanced channels is lower than declared and corresponds only to nominal 4G standards.

Any cellular operator that has the appropriate license and the necessary equipment can use various frequency channels. Now there is a tendency to expand channel capacity, the volume of which depends on the frequency range. It is also worth noting that to support LTE-A, the user’s device must have special technical characteristics.

4G speed

It is worth understanding that the actual connection speed almost always differs from the nominal one. The theory does not take into account factors such as landscape, remoteness of cell sites, or the presence of the user in the building - such conditions interfere with the connection and significantly reduce its quality.

The speed of data transfer also depends on the operator’s workload: the more users have access to fourth-generation networks, the lower the speed indicators. in wireless networks is determined by the width of the frequency range, as well as the implementation of the communication duplex.

These specifications vary by operator. Although some providers guarantee 300 Mbit/s, the average actual speed is only 75 Mbit/s (Tele2, MTS and Beeline).

The already mentioned tandem of Beeline and Megafon recently began the transition to the LTE-advanced standard, which made it possible to increase speed to 160 Mbit/s in some coverage points.

Now such a standard is presented in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but the regions will have to wait a long time for it: the total distribution of 4G+ throughout Russia is now impossible for two reasons.

The first is the cost of the required equipment, and the second (follows from the previous one) is that as the coverage area increases, the load on existing cell towers will increase, that is, the average speed will only decrease.

Since the speed of the connection depends on the width of the frequency range, we can say that today Megafon is in the most advantageous position, which, after absorbing Yota, added channels of the acquired company to its own frequencies.

Theoretically, the Megafon network can operate on a 40 MHz channel and accelerate in FDD mode to 300 Mbit/s, but since part of the channel is given to subscribers of the subsidiary Iota, the actual speed is approximately 100 Mbit/s.

If we compare networks of the third and fourth generations, the latter have several times higher speeds: an average of 80 Mbit/s versus a maximum of 3 Mbit/s. HSPA+ was able to overclock 3G to 45 Mbps, but these figures still lag behind 4G.

Further development of LTE

Despite the launch of testing of fifth generation networks in the world, some regions of the Russian Federation still do not even support 3G. In connection with this circumstance, it is worth predicting, first of all, the widespread development of LTE technology. Also, fourth-generation networks represent a non-alternative way of accessing the Global Wide Web in a number of Russian regions, which encourages domestic cellular operators to develop the 4G standard.

In some cases, a wired connection is simply impossible, which contributes to the spread of wireless technologies: the capabilities of cellular stations can be expanded thanks to special signal repeater antennas. The user can independently purchase such an antenna. It is important to consider that each repeater only works with certain frequencies and mode (FDD or TDD).

I have been following new developments in the field of mobile technologies for many years. Previously, this was my hobby, but now it has grown into a professional blog, where I am happy to share the information I have accumulated with you. I tested all the instructions, life hacks, selections of the best programs and tariff plans personally on myself.