In the past, living in places without telephone lines meant no internet. Even if you had a cellular signal you could use for calling and texting, you could not use it for social media, emails, internet messaging, and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calling. Cellular network infrastructure could not support mobile internet or, at least, not reliably or well enough to count.
Cellular network connectivity has become so advanced that you can feasibly replace your digital subscriber line (DSL) with a flybox from Orange or a similar device and get better internet connectivity. Now, mobile internet has sufficient bandwidth and more than enough speeds for all your data connectivity needs.
It all began with 3G, which is short for third generation or, more precisely, third generation standard for mobile telephony. Third-generation networks provided reliable data connectivity and practically made mobile internet possible, although preceding generations – particularly 2.5G or EDGE – did have some primitive internet capabilities.
The fourth-generation (4G) standard has since superseded third-generation technology. It’s 4G which provides DSL-like or better internet connectivity over a mobile network. Today, another generation of wireless connectivity that is exponentially better than 4G has emerged: the fifth generation (5G) global wireless standard.
3G vs. 4G vs. 5G
The 3G standard is the most primitive, while 4G improved on 3G and has become the mainstream tech. Meanwhile, 5G is an emerging global wireless technology increasingly gaining traction, especially since it enables the Internet of Things (IoT), eSIM (embedded SIM) and other advanced cellular data applications.
Network Speeds
In practice, 3G lets you download one song to your phone in around two minutes. With 4G, you have enough speed for high-definition media streaming, so 4G is a feasible replacement for DSL internet. With 5G, you can theoretically download a movie in six seconds; even if you have slower 5G, 30 seconds or a minute is feasible.
- 3G: Third-generation networks theoretically offer speeds of up to 42 megabits per second. Actual speeds vary highly. Download speeds may range between 1.1 Mbps and 20 Mbps, while upload speeds can be much slower at 300 kilobits per second to 3 Mbps.
- 4G: Fourth-generation networks provide higher download and upload speeds. Theoretically, a 4G connection can be as fast as 100 Mbps. In practice, the speed typically peaks at 15 Mbps for mobile connections. Long term evolution (LTE) variants of 4G are faster; for instance, 4G/LTE Cat. 4 and 4G/LTE Advanced can theoretically deliver up to 150 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps, respectively.
- 5G: Fifth-generation networks can deliver connections as fast as 10 Gbps, which is 10 to 100 times faster than 4G speeds. Actual speeds are typically much lower – but still much faster than average 4G speeds – and vary widely according to location. Connection speeds of 220 Mbps to almost 1,000 Mbps have been recorded for 5G networks.
Latency
Network latency (i.e., ping) refers to the time it takes for one packet of data to travel from one point to another. The lower it is, the less the lag. The higher it is, the more noticeable the lag.
A high latency is particularly frustrating when playing an online video game. A high lag means a noticeable delay between a video gamer’s actions and their character’s movement or response on screen.
A high latency also leads to a poor user experience in video conferencing. The delayed audio and video can inadvertently make people on the call talk over each other.
- 3G: Third-generation networks have high latency, approximately between 100 milliseconds and 500 ms. Imagine the aggravation as you wait almost half a second for a response from your video game character each time you perform an action.
- 4G: Fourth-generation networks have a latency of less than 100 ms, typically 70 ms. That’s 1/10th of one second, so 4G is much more suitable for applications that work best when there is little to no lag, like video streaming, conferencing, and gaming.
- 5G: Fifth-generation networks win hands-down with a latency of 1 ms. That’s 1/1000th of a second or instantaneous data transfer. In practice, that’s zero delay between clicks or actions and responses. Finally, friends can hold a karaoke party online and hear themselves singing in sync.
Coverage
The older technology has broader coverage than newer technologies.
- 3G: Third-generation networks have a broad geographical coverage. It’s available even in rural areas. However, some mobile network operators in various parts of the world are pulling their support for 3G.
- 4G: Fourth-generation networks have broad coverage. They don’t have as comprehensive a coverage as 3G, but it remains considerable. 4G networks typically provide excellent coverage in urban and suburban areas and limited coverage in rural areas.
- 5G: Fifth-generation networks currently provide very limited coverage. You’ll find 5G connectivity in highly urbanized metropolitan areas like popular tourist destinations or business districts. However, 5G infrastructure will expand continuously in the coming years, and coverage is expected to become as broad as 4G and, eventually, extend to rural areas.
Use Cases
The variable speeds and latency among 3G, 4G and 5G mean different suitable mobile data applications for each one.
- 3G: When connected to a 3G network, you should be able to open and send messages via email and messaging apps. You may be able to load lighter websites and use social media, but likely without pictures and videos.
- 4G: A 4G network lets you stream videos, make and answer VoIP calls and play video games online. Downloading songs and movies should be quick, too.
- 5G: Fifth-generation mobile networks provide super-fast, ultra-low-latency internet connectivity that is perfect for cellular data-enabled machine-to-machine (M2M) sensors, IoT devices, smart cities, immersive experiences through virtual and augmented reality (e.g., Apple Vision Pro), and industrial automation).
3G, 4G, and 5G
When you’re out and about, you typically can’t choose the type of network your mobile phone will be on; it will link to whichever network is available where you are. However, you can select the type of mobile data connection you have at home.
Among 3G, 4G, and 5G, 5G is the best. However, it has limited coverage. Get it if it’s available. Otherwise, you want 4G at least, as 3G is too slow for the demands of the modern internet and internet-enabled devices.
