This is what we were all waiting for, the ability to use a mobile device and be able to access, communicate and interact through video calls with friends, colleagues, family and friends worldwide.



Browse the internet or send and receive email as well as watch Live-TV, Movies or listen and download any form of streaming media FASTER, CHEAPER and EFFICIENT. This in a nutshell what 4G is promised to offer.

Faster and more efficient is what the 4G standard is all about, but to be available cheaper that remains to be seen. Though from the outset, it looks very possible, VoIP was nothing but a dream, yet now is a reality and dirt cheap to make a phone call in most cases absolutely free from your computer or laptop. As 4G is going to be compatible and Interoperable on the new IPv6 Internet Protocol, at least that part of it using voice and video calling is already a feasible possibility.

4G Network is the next step-up from 3G used by Mobile Communications and Mobile Telephone Operators, it is the Fourth-Generation Mobile Communications Standard. Among its offerings are:

- Faster data speeds, from 100 Mbit/s and up to 1 Gbit/s. You can download a whole movie in 5 minutes or less to your mobile phone, PDA or laptop / PC or Mac (if hooked to the network). Antenna technologies used is also expected to offer longer range coverage with minimum signal interference

- Convergence and Interoperability (compatibility and support) with other wireless networks and data communications technologies such as Wi-Fi and WiMax 802.xx, HDTV, Live Video and Video Conferencing, live broadcasting and streaming media and many others.

- Seamless access and global roaming across many different networks, which means good news for users as they can access the Internet, TV, Video Calling, MMS, VoIP and the likes from the same mobile handset, be it a mobile phone or PDA for example. However, this will in my view only be widely adopted if the cost of using is tremendously reduced. According to analysts, this will happen by 2010/2011

- Massive Improvement in mobile communications in general, we are expected to connect anywhere to any mobile network worldwide. We can Talk, play live video / movies, video chat or whatever faster and a lot more efficiently

- 4G is an All-IP network which means it has moved closer and is expected to be compatible with the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), the successor to IPv4. Unlike IPv4, IPv6 is not restricted by the number of IP addresses and therefore does not need Network Address Translation (NAT) anymore (a process currently used resulting in dynamic address usage by ISPs for example to share unused IPs). Sharing IP address usage is eliminated in IPv6 and 4G will take advantage of that as it will not be restricted to how many address blocks used.

As a consequence, IPv6 will make the Internet, computers and servers alike less dependant on a restricted number of IP addresses, for 4G, this will offer more usage and practically an infinite number of wireless devices. We can look at 4G as a medium or hub between the Internet, Television, Radio, Telephone, Satellite and other communications technologies. You can roam in-between these technologies at the touch of a button or even voice activated command if and when IBM or Microsoft get into action

It's like turning your PDA / Mobile phone at will into a PC monitor and access the internet, a TV to watch news or movies, phone using your phone network provider or VoIP through the Internet etc.
Verizon Wireless and Vodafone among others are expected to roll out and switch to 4G by 2010, though some are experimenting in a small scale in some parts of the world such as Japan right now.

4G technology is more or less here, the standard is set, the only thing I am not too sure about is the price-cost of the whole thing. If it proves not to be economically viable, then mobile operators are not going to risk arms and limbs, they need to control profits and they certainly don't want to see a repeat of the music piracy and lack of control over copyright infringement and royalties rip-offs that is currently badly hitting Lyricists, Musicians and Artists in the Music industry. If things remain the same, and as 4G is expected to expand properly and serve much more easily the movie business, TV broadcasting, Satellite and Telecom, the latter better start their home work early on lobbying their government for proper protection. On the other hand, if regulated the right way and government legislation is shown to be interested in giving CLEAR rules and regulations in protecting mobile operators from device level right up to ISP level, then the prospects are 4G is the much awaited complete mobile and wireless solution for users as well as for communication companies and mobile operators.

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