Finally it seems that the rival mobile phone operators have tidied their toys up and put them back in the cot. They have decided to work together to bring forward the setup of 4G to spring 2013. The government stepped in to cool things off as it deems the nationwide access to 4G is an essential part of the economic growth of the country. With mobile phone usage growing at such a speed this is not a surprise.
Now that the spectrum has been freed up by the redundancy of analogue television broadcasts, this has paved the way for mobile operators to offer 4G to a wider audience.
A little history lesson of telecommunications tells us that 4G is so called because it is the fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications. It provides mobile ultra-broadband internet access, be that to a smartphone, or to a laptop with USB wireless modems. As well as this we should now see greater opportunities in the gaming industry, developments in high definition mobile TV and 3D television.
New mobile generations have appeared about every ten years since the first move from 1981 analog (1G) to digital 2G transmission in 1992. In 2001 the 3G multi-media support, spread spectrum (a wider bandwidth) transmission was launched. Whilst there have been pocketed areas and versions of 4G offered in the last few years, the 4G launch by the mobile operators is set to allow greater access to high speed internet to a greater number of people. This is particularly advantageous to rural locations and businesses that perhaps are stuck in a location where the 3G service is poor.
What does this mean for websites and the online world? Well, in the next few years as people upgrade their handsets and contracts, there will be a greater need to provide useful data that can be viewed on a smartphone in particular. Whilst it could be argued that with greater speed a normal website will be able to be navigated around using a smartphone more quickly, there is still the issue of a website being user friendly for a smartphone/tablet screen. In order to appeal to those individuals using their new 4G compatible device to search for services a website must adapt to the device, so that the user gets the best experience possible and can easily find the information they want.
For a neat look at the 4G in action watch Rory Cellan-Jones trying out the 4G. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19805535.
Dental Design can make any website smartphone or tablet friendly, by building a mobile site or tablet site. Alternatively a ‘responsive’ website can be built, which automatically adapts to the device, be it a smartphone or tablet. Get in touch today on 01202 6772777 if you feel this is something that could benefit your practice.