4G

4G is the faster and more stable successor to 3G. The fast 4G connections ensure that all kinds of devices can access the internet effortlessly and without hitches in the background. The whole of the Netherlands is connected with 4G networks. And the Dutch telecom providers continue to improve their infrastructure. You can use 4G, 4G+ or 4G++, depending on the coverage and the provider. We also use 4G for IoT business cases. 4G can handle large amounts of data including high speed and high throughput. Many devices in the field (laptops, tablets and handhelds) have a 4G simcard for independent internet access.

The reason for this is that the amount of available network spectrum is limited in the Netherlands. The same spectrum used for 2G and 3G can now be reused for 4G LTE to deliver more data at faster speeds. Our current generation of mobile technology, 4G LTE, was introduced in 2008 with Release 8 by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an organization that develops standards for mobile communications. The 3GPP issues standard releases with incremental improvements every two years (until release 14) and guides the evolution of the 4G standard.

What is the lifetime of a network generation? Broadly speaking, every 10 years a new generation (or "G") of cellular technology comes along. Looking back, the last two cellular technologies have a lifespan of more than ten years from first release to sunset: 2G: 1990-2020, 30 years+. 3G: 2000-2020, 20 years+. 4G: 2008+. 4G is expected to last at least another ten years, and possibly longer using Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), which shares available spectrum between 4G LTE and 5G devices. DSS provides improved coverage for 5G devices and longer lifespan for 4G LTE devices. The first sunset announcements with 4G LTE are expected after 2030, meaning organizations can safely invest in 4G-based IoT solutions now and for the foreseeable future.

With the arrival of the 4G network, the speed increases to 350 Mbps. Maximum download speed of 450 Mbps and 100 Mbps upload. The actual speed achieved depends on, among other things: the type of device you use, the traffic on the internet or the website you visit, the number of devices that use the mobile network simultaneously, the distance between your device and the transmission tower, Obstacles between your device and the transmission tower, weather conditions (such as thunderstorms, can negatively affect your internet speed) and if you are in a fast-moving vehicle, this can also cause your internet speed to drop.