Will 4G Wireless Overtake Traditional Broadband One Day?

Technology evolves to become more efficient and productive for everyday usage. It also becomes more affordable as production is cheaper, allowing everyday citizens, rather than merely the elite, to access this technology. While cellular phones originally were toys of the wealthy, it has become so widespread that even people in impoverished villages of Sub-Saharan Africa have access to mobile phones. Just as telecommunications has become increasingly mobile and widespread, it is likely that the 4G mobile internet connection might soon overtake traditional broadband internet connections as the dominant provider of internet access.

Whereas just a decade ago, to call someone, you had to use a payphone or a landline phone, nowadays, even young children have their own personal mobile line. Because of the conveniences attached to having this mobility and technology, it has become widespread not just in the United States, but also throughout the world. When you are running late to meet a friend, you can simply send a text message or make a phone call to inform them that you will indeed make it to the meeting spot, but you are simply running late. That way, your friend will not think that you have stood them up and leave after waiting for a few minutes. Moreover, instead of family members fighting over the usage of one common household line, since all members have their own mobile phone, they can make calls as they wish.

The mobility and convenience of having a mobile phone can be seen in having a mobile internet connection. While the 3G network provided smart phones with this mobility and reliability, its slower speeds ensured that this connection was not a competitor against traditional forms of internet access. The 3G network allowed people to surf the web and check their emails on their phone; however, the speeds were slower, you could not do everything that you would be able to on the cable or DSL connections that you enjoyed at home or at the office. Thus, you would not be able to replace the traditional broadband connection that you had at home.

However, with the 4G network, you are able to do everything that you are accustomed to doing on the connections you have at home. Its data transfer speed is much faster than the 3G network, and is thus, comparable to traditional broadband internet. You can now download and upload large files, stream videos, and even video chat. Moreover, this 4G network allows its users to access the worldwide web from both smart phones and laptop computers, rather than simply smart phones like the 3G network. Thus, with a simple mobile air card, you can log onto the internet on the laptop computer, making it a much more likely competitor with traditional broadband internet. Because it is comparable in speed and efficiency, why would you pay for two services when the mobile one sufficed? In 2009, cellular phones surpassed landlines as the dominant form of telecommunications. Perhaps, one day in the near future, the 4G mobile internet connection will similarly surpass traditional forms of internet.