The 4G Question

The International Telecommunication Union defines 4G mobile broadband as IMT-Advanced systems capable of service speeds up to 100Mbps for high-mobility communication, such as while in vehicle.

Current marketing campaigns by major network carriers have spent a lot of advertising dollars convincing the public that their products and networks are capable of these speeds. Theoretically, major carriers have networks currently capable of around a fifth of true 4G speeds, in actuality customers are receiving only a tenth.

Major carriers currently do not have networks capable of 4G. This is due primarily because of the spectrum used for their networks. They either do not have the frequencies required for these speeds, or do they do not have enough of the frequencies. Different frequencies have different characteristics, each which affect the strength and speed of the network.

CCI defines 4G+ as service speeds exceeding 100Mbps for high-mobility communication. This is accomplished with CCI's Wytec technology and its patented MRFT technology. By bundling frequencies together and creating synthetic contiguous spectrum a network is created which can reach mobile broadband speeds in excess of 100Mbps.

The speed of a network is no secret. Websites and applications for smartphones allow for the testing of network speeds. Although various factors affect a network's speed, it is evident that the only place to currently find 4G with a major network carrier is in their advertising campaigns.