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"  Today&amp;#039;s Netflix-streaming, videoconferencing, Angry Bird\u2013tossing smartphones have an almost insatiable appetite for data. These devices don&amp;#039;t just sip bits, they gulp them down in a movable feast of apps, video and Web browsing. But all that data has a downside: Surfing the once-wide-open 3G freeways can now seem like slogging through rush-hour gridlock. At times, even basic tasks on a smartphone can bring you back to the dial-up days, when Web pages took minutes to load.  Enter 4G. With promises of cable-modem-like speeds, these next-gen networks could change the way we use mobile devices. The first 4G networks are up and running now, but is it time to sign the two-year contract? So What Is 4G? First, a bit of history: 3G has been available in the United States since 2003. These networks came in a jumble of \u00ADcompeting standards (EVDO, HSPA) from carriers such as Verizon, Sprint and AT&amp;amp;amp;T, offering download speeds ranging from 300 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps and turning phones into true data devices. The first 4G network in the U.S. rolled out in select cities in 2008, and 4G gained serious momentum last fall as more networks came online.  As you might expect, the higher the Gs, the greater the speed. (Those Gs, by the way, stand for &amp;quot;generation,&amp;quot; as in &amp;quot;third generation,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;fourth generation,&amp;quot; etc.) But that doesn&amp;#039;t mean there&amp;#039;s a standard definition of what constitutes a 4G network. Like &amp;quot;natural flavoring&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;new and improved,&amp;quot; the 4G label is as much marketing as technology. &amp;quot;What defines 4G is a matter of opinion,&amp;quot; says Roger Marks, chair of the IEEE broadband wireless working group. &amp;quot;There is no formal authority that decides what 4G is.&amp;quot; As a result, the carriers have resorted again to a variety of different\u2014and completely incompatible\u2014technologies, all stamped with the 4G label. Semantics aside, users can expect to get a substantial speed boost by switching to 4G. In recent testing, we found the 4G networks able to achieve real-world speeds ranging from 5.8 Mbps on T-Mobile all the way to 24.3 Mbps on Verizon. How Does It Work? Like 3G before it, 4G offers up an alphabet salad of standards: Verizon is using LTE (Long Term Evolution); Sprint, in partnership with Clearwire, is behind WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access); T-Mobile is using HSPA+ (a beefed-up version of the current 3G High Speed Packet Access standard); and AT&amp;amp;amp;T is offering a combination of LTE and HSPA+.  Each technology has its advantages. Verizon&amp;#039;s and AT&amp;amp;amp;T&amp;#039;s LTE signals live primarily around the 700-MHz band, once used for analog TV broadcast. These \u00ADrelatively low-frequency signals can travel long distances and reach deep into buildings, meaning LTE devices should get a stronger signal in places such as basements and elevators.  Three City Lab Test We sent 4G USB modems from three providers (no AT&amp;amp;amp;T devices were available at press time) on a tour of New York, Chicago and San Francisco. In each location, we performed tests at different times of day, checking upload and download speeds. In our New York lab, we also ran the pivotal how-long-does-it-take-to-connect test. We found that both provider and location matter quite a bit.  Verizon Speed (megabits per second): New York  Download: 14.2 (avg.); 19.0 (max.) Upload: 5.8 (avg.); 6.5 (max.) Chicago  Download: 20.1 (avg.); 24.3 (max.) Upload: 8.8 (avg.); 13.3 (max.) San Francisco Download: 16.7 (avg.); 22.5 (max.) Upload: 2.4 (avg.); 2.5 (max.) Monthly Pricing: Phone: No pricing at press time  Modem: $50 (5 GB); $80 (10 GB) Average Log-On Time: 15 seconds Coverage as of February 2011: 38 markets T-Mobile Speed (megabits per second): New York  Download: 2.4 (avg.); 3.4 (max.) Upload: 1.2 (avg.); 1.6 (max.) Chicago  Download: 1.9 (avg.); 2.2 (max.) Upload: 0.5 (avg.); 0.5 (max.) San Francisco  Download: 4.0 (avg.); 5.8 (max.) Upload: 1.1 (avg.); 1.4 (max.) Monthly Pricing: Phone: $50 (unlimited data) Modem: $25 (200 MB); $40 (5 GB) Average Log-On Time: 11 seconds Coverage as of February 2011: 100 markets Sprint/Clearwire Speed (megabits per second): New York  Download: 4.7 (avg.); 5.6 (max.) Upload: 1.2 (avg.); 1.8 (max.) Chicago  Download: 4.6 (avg.); 8.8 (max.) Upload: 0.8 (avg.); 1.2 (max.) San Francisco  Download: 1.5 (avg.); 3.8 (max.) Upload: 1.3 (avg.); 1.6 (max.) Monthly Pricing: Phone: $30 (unlimited data) Modem: $50 (unlimited data) Average Log-On Time: 18 seconds Coverage as of February 2011: 71 markets  &amp;amp;gt; Which Gadgets Use 4G? &amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt;   Which Gadgets Use 4G? So far, there are three basic types of 4G devices: smartphones, USB modems and mobile hotspots that harness 4G service to create portable Wi-Fi networks for multiple devices. (Mac users, watch out: Some of the USB modems we tested are Windows-only\u00AD\u2014check before you buy.) None of these devices can replace a home Internet connection yet (see &amp;quot;Home Router Test&amp;quot;), but our tests showed 4G speeds to be, at their best, good enough to tackle most high-bandwidth tasks, including streaming video from a variety of sources, such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube.  There are also a number of laptops and tablets with 4G access built in. Although they may seem less expensive than a Wi-Fi-only version of the same device, they typically require users to sign a multiyear contract, which can add up to thousands of dollars. And unlike a USB modem or mobile hotspot, their connections cannot be shared by multiple devices. Since 4G network coverage can be limited, most 4G devices have the ability to fall back on a slower 3G network. This safety net isn&amp;#039;t just useful for people who find themselves outside of cities covered by 4G\u2014even in 4G service areas, we found that devices frequently lost the speedier connection and got bumped down to 3G. The 4G networks are power hogs that can strain a phone&amp;#039;s battery. &amp;quot;As 4G chipsets mature and we see more multicore devices, battery life should improve,&amp;quot; says Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at the NPD Group. Until then, many 4G phones give users the ability to switch off 4G to preserve battery life\u2014something we found ourselves doing to get through a day between charges. Real-World Torture Test When it comes to the 4G future, speedy Web browsing is just the beginning. To see how the carriers&amp;#039; new networks handle higher-performance tasks, PM editors Glenn Derene and Seth Porges put the networks through a battery of tests designed to push them to their limits\u2014and beyond.  HD Video Test To evaluate how 4G handles video, we used a Sprint mobile hotspot to stream Netflix to an Xbox 360. The result was stunning HD video\u2014at first. After a few minutes, Netflix bumped us down to standard def (interrupting our movie). Minutes later, it was back up to HD, and then down again. Seems like 4G isn&amp;#039;t yet ready for home-theater heavy lifting. Home Router Test Can a 4G network really replace a home wireless router? To find out, we sicced a houseful of Wi-Fi gear on a mobile hotspot running Sprint&amp;#039;s 4G WiMAX network. Our test gear included a Netflix-streaming TV, two video-streaming computers (one playing YouTube, the other handling Hulu) and a Web-surfing iPad. On their own, each of these devices worked, at least intermittently. But when used all at once, Netflix skipped down from HD, Hulu lowered its frame rate to once every few seconds and YouTube slowed to a crawl. Bottom line: We&amp;#039;ll be keeping our cable\u2014at least for now Train-Commuter Test Whip-fast 4G networks should be a commuter&amp;#039;s dream. But how do the networks handle a laptop roaring along at 60 mph in a train traveling from New York City to Connecticut? We found that all three services we tested (Verizon, Clearwire and T-Mobile) lost their grip on a 4G signal long before the Connecticut border, which is 30 miles from midtown Manhattan. Despite coverage maps that show strong 4G signals along all or most of the route, the USB modems from all three carriers routinely reverted back to slower 3G connections as we sped away from the city center\u00AD. Halfway through the Bronx, 4G signals started dropping like flies. Clearwire&amp;#039;s WiMAX service, in particular, proved to be as slippery as a greased watermelon\u2014every time we lost a signal from one tower, it took 15 to 25 seconds to try to find and lock on to another 4G connection.  Bottom Line Sexy devices and fast networks are great\u2014if you can stomach the monthly bill. And the cost of 4G can sneak up on you. Only Sprint and Clearwire currently offer blanket unlimited data plans, beginning at $30 per month. (T-Mobile offers a $50 unlimited 4G data plan for phones, but it does not cover USB modems.) Verizon&amp;#039;s LTE plans are capped at 5 GB per month for $50 or 10 GB for $80. (AT&amp;amp;amp;T had not announced 4G pricing as of press time.) Zooming past a data cap can cause fees to add up quickly. While T-Mobile&amp;#039;s $40 for 5 GB plan has no overage fees (instead, the company warns that heavy users may face a reduction in data speed), Verizon charges $10 per gigabyte over its data caps. And the high speeds of 4G put those caps within surprisingly easy reach: Just 3 hours of HD Netflix streaming will get you to the 5 GB monthly limit. The drawbacks of 4G are many\u2014limited\u00AD equipment, spotty coverage, confusing plans\u2014but temporary. At this early stage, it&amp;#039;s impossible to pick the best network. Yet 4G networks do offer one huge benefit to early adopters: Because these networks are new, they are still running under capacity. If you&amp;#039;re lucky enough to live in an area with coverage, using a 4G device today is like driving a Lamborghini on a new highway with light traffic. And that may not last. If the history of 3G has taught us anything, it&amp;#039;s that when carriers build capacity, users will come. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/a6647/should-you-make-the-jump-to-4g/>