How fast is 3G and what is 3.5G and when will 4G be here?
Most en
terprise CTOs are very interested in the “cloud” and ways to tap into cloud-based resources. An interesting aspect of this discussion has been how to access the cloud while on the move. Today’s cellular networks support that access today, and future enhancements are making that support even better and much much faster.
How much faster? I’ll try to put that in context in this post.
Early 3G network to had a download speed of 384kbits per second and an upload speed of 192Kbits per second. The wireless router you might have in your home, by contrast, might have a speed of 54Mbits per second. So, about 140 times faster.
But the 3G networks in place today use new transmission algorithms that enable much faster throughput. Here is a little more context from vendor pages:.
Verizon asserts their broadband access, based on CDMA2000 1x EVDO (Code Division Multiple Access Evolution-Data Only) provides download speeds of up to 1.4Mbits/s and uploads of up to 800kbits/s.
AT&T is leveraging its GPRS technology called EDGE to deliver higher speeds that Verizon’s. AT&T’s EDGE delivers speeds of around 1.7Mbits/s and upload of around 1.2Mbits/s.
Sprint asserts that its broadband cards delivery 350-500kbps but then say you might get a peak of 3.1Mbps. I wonder if or how often that happens.
What’s coming next:
A key emerging protocol is HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access). HSDPA is sometimes called 3.5G. This protocol is in the HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) family and allows download of up to 14.4Mbits/s download and 5.8Mbits/s upload. Now this is getting interesting.
HSPA+ allows speeds of up to 42Mbits/s. This is almost what you would expect to see in your home wireless LAN. The next step is a project called Long Term Evolution. This LTE will start with providing 150Mbits/s to handheld devices and soon thereafter expect protocols and algorithms to increase that upto 1gig of bits per second to your mobile device.
When will these new protocols and speeds be available to consumers? The answer is, the best roadmaps I have seen are all tightly held insider views, but if you look at what is being rolled out right now we should expect a continuing stream of announcements that brings the timing of these new protocols more into focus. Public information show many vendors moving to the first version of LTE by 2011. Indications I’m getting are that it will be accelerated into 2009.
So, brace yourself for the innovation that will drive in the devices that connect to the cloud through cellular.
Related posts:
Decent overview on what speeds each standard or label delivers, but why use the term cloud gratuitously? This piece is about cell bandwidth, period.
Thanks Andrew for the note. Now that you mention it, I guess you are right. I start out with the topic of CTO interest in cloud computing on the move and then drop right into a discussion of speeds.
I think I meant to take that post in a different direction. I am working on another post that will be referring back to this one that will have much better connections to cloud computing (it deals with my new wireless thin client). That one will be much more relevant, I promise.
Cheers,
Bob
Looking forward to it, I crave all things cloud. With Amazon and Google’s entry-level offerings, commodization by Rackspace and GoGrid, and premium offerings from places like AppNexus and Hoodoo, and of course the long-standing cloud of web-based email/messaging options out there, this is a huge topic, yet it’s one far too many people in our role, not to mention any other CxO role, seem to remain pretty in the dark on.
I am working on another post that will be referring back to this one that will have much better connections to cloud computing (it deals with my new wireless thin client).
I am working on another post that will be referring back to this one that will have much better connections to cloud computing (it deals with my new wireless thin client).