Telstra 3G vs Next G vs 4G LTE | Next G Phones vs 4G LTE Phones | Next G Modem vs 4G LTE Modems
Telstra 3G, Next G and 4G are mobile communication networks used in Australia by Telstra. Next G is a brand name from Telstra for its HSPA Network. Currently Telstra operates with two 3G networks, which are named as Telstra 3G and Next G while the 4G network is to be launched soon. Telstra is the first carrier to launch a commercial trial for 4G LTE in Australia. Telstra 4G LTE network is faster than Next G or 3G, and users will get very high speed access to Internet with 4G LTE. Theoritically 4G LTE can substitute LAN connection, and offer LAN equivalent data rate over wireless.
Telstra 3G
Telstra 3G is the early 3G network of Telstra, which operates at 2100MHz. 3G also known as WCDMA all over the world is the European standard that has been used to fulfil the 3G specifications published by IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunication). 3G uses Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology in its air interface.
Telstra Next G
Next G is a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Dual Channel Technology enabled network. (Currently upgraded to HSPA+). Even though, HSPA uses CDMA technology in 3G networks, by using efficient modulation schemes HSPA networks are able to provide much higher download and upload data rates when compared with earlier 3G networks.
Telstra 4G (LTE)
Telstra 4G uses LTE technology, which was initially introduced in 3GPP release 8 in December 2008. LTE uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) for downlink, and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) for uplink access.
Difference Between Telstra 3G and Next G and 4G
1. While Telstra 4G network uses LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, Next G is a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Dual Channel Technology enabled network and3G network uses UMTS technology. 3G networks support services such as video calling and MMS as per the initial 3GPP release 99 standard. All later releases of 3G have backward compatibility, which leads to the fact that Next G should be able to support all the basic 3G services.
2. Telstra 3G network runs on 2100 MHz frequency range, while Telstra Next G network runs on 850 MHz frequency range, which leads to higher signal propagation, better signal strength and penetration. Next G uses 1800MHz frequency spectrum as well, depending on the location and coverage requirements.
3. Next G network supports up to 20Mbps download speeds, while Telstra 3G supports up to 200kbps average speed and the maximum 3G speed should be 384kbps in mobile environment as per the 3GPP Release 99 specification. Next G supports up to 3Mbps upload speeds, while 3G as per the 3GPP standard should support up to 384kbps. As per the 3GPP specification, LTE Category 3 user equipment should support up to 100Mbps in downlink and 50Mbps in uplink. It should be noted that above mentioned maximum speeds may vary depending on factors such as distance from the base station, local conditions, user numbers, hardware and software configuration and download source.
4. Next G covers more than 99% of Australian population with more than 2.1 million square kilo meters, while 3G operates at 2100 MHz band covering major metropolitan centers. As per a Telstra media release, 4G coverage will be available initially within 5km from the GPO in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, but the deployment will cover the entire Australia soon.
5. There are some older phones that support only 2100 MHz band, which are used with Telstra 3G networks and those devices will not be able to use Next G network since it operates at 850 MHz band. Most of the latest devices support both 2100 MHz and 800 MHz bands. Very few devices are available to support 4G when compared with the Next G (HSPA) supported devices.
6. 4G and Next G networks are owned by Telstra, while it’s earlier 3G (2100MHz) network is currently shared with Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA).
7. Telstra 4G network is not yet commercially available, while 3G and Next G networks and services are still commercially available. It should also be noted that Telstra 3G network is going to be discontinued in the near future, while making Next G network widely available in Australia.
8. LTE has a more flat architecture when compared with 3G and HSPA architectures. Also, LTE and HSPA support all IP networks from end to end, while 3G does not have such capabilities as per the initial specification.
9. Spectral efficiency is much higher in LTE due to OFDM technology when compared with Next G and 3G. Also, HSPA (Next G) spectral efficiency is higher than 3G network due to the introduction of Amplitude Modulation with 16-QAM.
10. 3G networks adheres to 3GPP release 99 and 4. HSPA networks support 3GPP release 5 and 6, while LTE support 3GPP releases 7 and 8.