In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of mobile phone mobile communications standards. It is a successor of the third generation (3G) standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadband Internet access, for example to laptops with USB wireless modems, to smartphones, and to other mobile devices. Conceivable applications include amended mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conferencing and 3D television. Recently, Android and Windows-enabled cellular devices have fallen in the pre-4G category.
Two 4G candidate systems are commercially deployed: the Mobile WiMAX standard (at first in South Korea in 2006), and the first-release Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard (in Scandinavia since 2009). It has however been debated if these first-release versions should be considered to be 4G or not, as discussed in the technical definition section below.
In the U.S. Sprint Nextel has deployed Mobile WiMAX networks since 2008, and MetroPCS was the first operator to offer LTE service in 2010. USB wireless modems have been available since the start, while WiMAX smartphones have been available since 2010, and LTE smartphones since 2011. Equipment made for different continents are not always compatible, because of different frequency bands. Mobile WiMAX are currently (April 2012) not available for the European market.
In Australia, Telstra launched the country's first 4G network (LTE) in September 2011 claiming "2–40 Mbps" speeds and announced an "aggressive" expansion of that network in 2012.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstras-4g-plan-to-reach-14-million/story-e6frgakx-1226460236854"4G Network - Mobile Phones & Plans". Telstra. http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/4g/?ti=TR:TR:August12:telstra4g:4g:vanity. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
In India, Bharti Airtel has launched India's first 4G service using TD-LTE technology in Kolkata on 10 April 2012.
In New Zealand the first 4G network will be introduced in December 2013."What is 4G?". Chronosmedia.net. http://chronosmedia.net/what-is-4g. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
Read more about 4G: Technical Definition, Background, IMT-Advanced Requirements, Data Rate Comparison, History of 4G and Pre-4G Technologies, Beyond 4G Research