An estimated 20.4 billion “things” will connect by 2020. And 4G LTE has given rise to many of the connected devices and services that people rely on today.īut scaling for billions of devices, not millions, is what Verizon network leaders Nicki Palmer and Ed Chan call “ the new connectivity.” And this shift requires fundamental changes at the network level. The move to 3G provided the essential network speeds for smartphones. The introduction of 2G brought a short-messaging layer-pieces of which can still be seen in today’s texting features. The ability to use a phone in a car, or anywhere else, really took root here. Broadly, the first generation of mobile technology, 1G, was about voice. To grasp how transformational 5G will be, it helps to understand how far wireless technology has come. But 4G LTE is not going away any time soon-it will be around for many years to come, providing industry-best digital experiences to households and enterprise clients alike. Our ongoing investment in fiber, network spectrum and cell sites-and how it all gets engineered together-has given customers in select markets the opportunity to experience 5G sooner than anyone else in the country. Indeed, Verizon’s 4G LTE technology makes development of the nation’s first 5G Ultra Wideband network possible. At Verizon, that process begins with America’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.Ĭonsider 4G LTE the on ramp to 5G. It will be built off of existing networks and existing knowhow. But a 5G-powered world won’t materialize out of thin air. 5G Ultra Wideband will fundamentally change the ways we live, work, learn and play, and on a grand scale. The next step in wireless connectivity is not really a step at all-it’s a leap.

5g vs 4g