Will lte work. Do we need LTE technology? G from MegaFon is different from Yota

30.04.2018

As soon as people got used to the concept of 3G and learned all its advantages, the active integration of a new generation of communications - 4G, in particular, LTE technology, began. Why do we need LTE and what benefits can it give us? First you need to understand what it is all about.

LTE is a new wireless communication technology that complies with the fourth generation standard. All mobile communication technologies that provide a data transfer rate of at least 10 Mbps fall under. LTE technology is the next stage in the development of cellular communications. It marks the transition from CDMA (WCDMA) systems to new OFDMA systems, and also provides for the transition from a circuit switched system to an e2e IP system. In other words, packet switching (packet data transmission) occurs.

However, with all the advantages of this technology, several factors impede the rapid transition to LTE. First, in order to take full advantage of the new technology, appropriate equipment and improvements to existing systems are needed. Secondly, the subscribers themselves will need such mobile devices that could work in 3G and LTE networks. This is due to the fact that this technology is only being introduced and does not cover the entire territory of the country.

Review the terms and conditions for details, which include exclusions, limitations, how to apply, cancel coverage, and a list of coverage providers. Mobile phones gained access to the Internet, read emails and surfed.

Learn how to access the Internet with the perfect mobile phone

But with the latest gadgets? So, for you all to understand, take a look at all these tips that we have prepared for you. Obviously, the experience of browsing a cell phone with a simpler internet is not comparable to the experience of smartphones, because since they have an operating system, they allow objects that are very similar to the navigation done with laptops, loading pages with a visual interface, forms, videos, photos and other multimedia elements.

1. What is LTE for - technology development goals

The design goals and benefits of LTE are as follows:

Reducing the cost of services provided;
Increasing the data transfer rate in wireless networks;
Ability to provide a wider range of services to its subscribers;
Increasing the flexibility of using existing systems;
Increasing the availability of mobile communications for subscribers.

The main goal of the development and implementation of LTE technology is to increase the speed of information transfer. The integration of LTE technology will enable the creation of high-speed mobile communication systems that will be optimized for packet data transmission. At the same time, the data transfer rate is theoretically 300 Mbps for downlinks and about 75 Mbps for uplinks. However, this technology is still under development and implementation, which is why the actual speed in the network coverage area differs from the theoretical one.

Soon you can browse and access the Internet even with a basic cell phone. With the right device, it's easy to learn how to access the Internet efficiently through your mobile phone. This will give you a good phone for your tasks. With them, more attention, faster browsing up to 300 Mbps and, above all, at no additional cost. Let's look at all the specifications together.

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All this will allow them to use the greatly extended mobile network coverage and better connection quality at no additional cost. When you submit the form, please check your inbox to confirm your registration. Excellent rates if the network priority is equal to direct customers.

Another feature of the technology is the range of the LTE base station, which in the optimal case is about 5 km. However, if necessary, this indicator can be increased to 30 km, and in some cases even up to 100 km (but only with a sufficient antenna height).

For a smooth transition from the third generation to the fourth, there is a continuous signal transmission system from LTE to 3G. This is necessary so that the connection is not interrupted in case of leaving the LTE coverage area. And as mentioned above, this technology is new and is just beginning to be introduced, which is why 4G communications do not cover the entire territory of the country.

Change of card is free of charge from the company. The company plans to launch the network in two phases. The first will cover mainly Southern Bulgaria and will include 35 cities. The second stage will include 11 cities in northern Bulgaria. It is expected that after January 31, new commercial offers will also appear, some of which will be announced after the beginning of December this year.

Replacement is completely free. The indication varies depending on the operating system and model of the device being used. While the present and future of mobile telephony are fast data transfers, there are still ways to connect them to regular voice calls. It may not always be easy, but the use is definitely worth it.

2. iPad Air + 4G/LTE in Russia = love: Video

3. Do we need LTE?

The advantages of the new generation wireless technology LTE have already been mentioned above, so whether to use it or not is a purely personal decision for each mobile subscriber. However, it is worth considering the fact that the cost of such a connection is currently higher compared to 3G. Therefore, everyone decides for himself what he needs - speed or economy. According to forecasts, in the future it is planned to reduce the cost of 4G communications, due to which LTE technology will become available to everyone in the near future.

One number difference, but a completely different approach

Let's take a quick look at the evolution of mobile networks. It's easy to switch from network to network, but because it's a completely different architecture, that means about four dozen messages have to be replaced. And it's not free, it's worth the time. Initially, the delay in the call was twenty seconds, now he was able to press up to five, but it's still a lot.

Early but bad news: the use of this technology is highly dependent on the phone's hardware. However, since this is a relatively new service, there is little expansion across devices. More detailed network diagram. It's not easy to keep it all.

Another obstacle for subscribers that makes LTE less accessible is that modern phones and other mobile devices do not support this technology. This means that people need to purchase additional hardware in the form of modems and routers or change their phones, tablets and laptops to new devices that come with built-in LTE.

The first two are obvious: the connection time is reduced to one second, the voice transmission will be better, as well as entire connections. All this with less power requirements. Also, a voice call made in this way is irrelevant to the current data transfer on your phone.

These are the benefits that you will automatically receive when you join a call. The implementation of each option is always done on each individual statement, but the possibilities are really interesting. For example, one phone number can mean more than one terminal. For example, you call your family and that would mean calling three phones, including any subsequent conference call. The word comes from all the extras that we know from internet communicators: videos, files and other multimedia content.

You ask - how to use LTE? Very simple. This is a technology of high-speed wireless Internet connection. That is, if your phone supports this technology and is able to work in the LTE network, then you just need to establish a connection with the operator that provides such services by purchasing a SIM card. Everything is the same as in 3G, except for the speed, which is several times higher.

Finally, without installing any additional applications, the user will be able to set up blacklists, whitelists, all based on time and local conditions. It sounds easy, but there are obstacles. When we forget about technological, that is, the operator must guarantee certain standards in a foreign network, they are also legislative. For example, you know that the operator is legally required to provide the police with access to wiretapping based on a court order.

You may not know that in addition to the content of your message, this also means determining the guaranteed position of the terminal during communication. We will have to wait for commercial rollout in the Czech Republic, according to optimistic estimates for the year.

), allowing you to achieve previously unseen speeds of the mobile Internet. Megafon was the first in Russia to make it possible to use 4G on smartphones (). I tried this technology - all July I had a special version of the Samsung Galaxy S III 4G smartphone with me.

In the center of Moscow, 4G operates at fantastic speeds: the average speed of receiving and transmitting is 25 Mbps,
the maximum recorded download speed is 55 Mbps. At such speeds, it becomes possible on a smartphone to do what was usually possible only when connected via wi-fi: watch and download videos, install programs from the Market, and just any actions with the Internet begin to be performed almost instantly. Videos on Instagram are uploaded faster than they are processed, and the upload speed of photos is measured in fractions of a second.

It is encouraging that even old phones are out of the game. The advantage is that this is the most recent app and settings you need to make. You also use the phone as usual: regular phone number, regular phone number . When the phone switched off, we called the Czech phone. The delay in the conversation was noticeable, but the fluency of the conversation did not interfere.

Much more interesting, however, it will be for places with poor indoor lighting, and there are many more, although they do not look much like brightly lit operator maps.

It is encouraging that even old phones are out of the game. The advantage is that this is the most recent app and settings you need to make. You also use the phone as usual: regular phone number, regular phone number. When the phone switched off, we called the Czech phone. The delay in the conversation was noticeable, but the fluency of the conversation did not interfere.

On Red Square, SpeedTest on different days showed speeds from 25 to 35 Mbps for reception, more than 20 Mbps for transmission.

And here is the same speed record that was recorded on Manezhnaya Square.

Multiple measurements in a row.

During this month, I visited the center of Moscow five times, usually on weekends or in the evening, but once I ended up at Tretyakovskaya and Bolotnaya Square in the morning on a working day. To my surprise, the 4G speed did not exceed 5 Mbps. Most likely the reason is that many offices in the center use 4G from Megafon as a cheap working Internet.

4G in the center works great outside, but in buildings there is often no 4G or the signal is very weak.

In Sviblovo, the situation with 4G at Megafon is as follows: at home on the 17th floor, if you put your hand with the phone out of the window, the signal level is three “sticks” out of four (-82dBm), while the speed floats from 20 to 5 Mbps. If you move away from the window to the far end of the room, the signal level decreases to one "stick" (-114dBm), while the speed is only 2-3 Mbps. At work, on one side of the building there is 4G and it works at very high speeds, on the other hand, just where my office is located, there is neither 4G nor 3G. Only dull EDGE.

Another problem is timing gaps. Sometimes the data transfer is interrupted for a few seconds. The screenshot clearly shows that the Internet was at first and the speed was high, and then it died, it was gone for 10-15 seconds, and then it appeared again.

The Samsung Galaxy S III 4G smartphone cannot be forced to 4G mode. Autoselect only.

4G only works for data transfer. With an incoming or outgoing call, the smartphone automatically switches to 3G. It happens instantly, there are no delays.

Alas, in 4G mode and more or less active use, the battery only lasts for eight hours. And with 4G, GPS, WI-FI turned off, this special version of SGS III works less than a day.

Another interesting observation. It turns out that Megafon has excellent 3G at Moscow metro stations. On my orange line at every station from Sviblovo to the center there was 3G and speeds in the region of 5 Mbps. Despite the fact that MTS has only 2G everywhere, except for Prospekt Mira, on the same site, and it does not always work.

A big plus of 4G in Russian conditions is that while there are not very many 4G devices, the Internet works well at mass events, where 2G and 3G are choking on the number of people who want to go online. It's great that now Megafon has exactly the same tariffs for 4G Internet as for 3G / 2G: moscow.megafon.ru/internet.

Today, 4G on a smartphone can be of great interest to those who need to transfer large amounts of information on the go, those who are ready to sacrifice the time of their smartphone for the sake of a very fast Internet, and those who want to stay with mobile Internet at mass events.

Does a smartphone need 4G?

The conventional wisdom is that it is absolutely not needed, there is enough 3G for a smartphone for a long time. It really is enough if you deliberately limit yourself, but is it worth it? You can get by with a simple messenger and a weather forecast widget, then 2G (EDGE) is enough. The “redundancy” of 4G for smartphones is assured by those who have not tried 4G in their smartphone, but confidently talk about “the taste of oysters”. At a far from oyster price tag: 4G Internet for the whole month will cost less than one lunch at a diner.

From exclusive to mass

Packet data transfer (GPRS) appeared even before smartphones, the declared 56 Kbps (albeit realistically less) without paying for the connection time seemed like a miracle. Technologies improved (EDGE) and speeds grew, but the possibilities of mobile Internet in smartphones remained a “bottleneck”. Special protocols, adapted "light" versions of sites (WAP), email clients without the ability to accept attachments, MMS compression of photos and many "cunning" technologies that save precious kilobytes. In general, incredible efforts on both sides: to make the transmitted “content” as light as possible and, at the same time, increase the transmission speed.

The user, as a result, received a kind of surrogate with reduced functionality and annoying "thoughtfulness" in the process of sending messages and loading pages. Although some solutions turned out to be so successful that they remained in demand even in the 3G era, the same Opera Mini is still alive and well. Despite all the technical tricks, before the advent of the 3G era, mobile Internet in smartphones was rather exotic and a pleasant bonus for enthusiasts.

The advent of 3G was a revolution that "shaken up" the market and quickly changed the attitude of users to the mobile Internet. Speed has ceased to be a deterrent and smartphones have finally been able to showcase their talents. A good example is the home page of the Play Market app store and the list of apps that Google considers a must-have "gentleman's kit" for the modern mobile consumer. GOOGLE understands as well as we do that a modern smartphone plus fast Internet is a combination that is simply necessary for both a business user and advanced users of social networks that have long become a mass phenomenon. And this user is carefully offered Skype, instant messengers, Facebook and VK clients and other means of communication.

Thus, the “smartphone plus internet” set has become something for granted, and in the case of a cheap model, a boring routine. And the happiness has come? Not really. Appetite came with eating and now 3G ceases to satisfy our increased needs.

Why a 4G smartphone

At first glance, the LTE (4G) standard provides “only” a significant increase in data transfer speed. This is undeniable, but the main thing in a smartphone is not even that. The implementation of 4G in a smartphone is a qualitative leap, not an evolutionary acceleration. Starting with speeds of the order of 1.5-2 Mbps, which even an average 3G connection gives, the smartphone is able to cope with most tasks without pauses and annoying delays. Transmission stability and a number of other parameters are more important. They focus on speed because it is clear to the mass consumer: faster means better.

It is important for the end user, sorry for the tautology, to use the services that he is interested in and need, and not to delve into technical subtleties. The problem is that our online “habits” and needs have changed radically, although we do not always notice it. Video calls via Skype, viewing hundreds of photos and uploading your own pictures to social networks, YouTube videos and much more. The quality of the “picture” of the video is slightly higher - the data stream is ten times more, a short video instead of a photo - the amount of data grows by two orders of magnitude. Are the problems imaginary? Not at all. Dry lines of the report:

“Skyfire (a subsidiary of Opera Software) reported that, according to its own study conducted in Russia in December 2013, 37% of all video transmitted over Russian 3G networks freezes while viewing and requires re-buffering, which leads to to negative user experience and a high percentage of abandonment of further video viewing on mobile devices. The study also showed that while playing 28% of all video transmitted on 3G networks in Russia, the hang-up and buffering time is more than 10% of the total duration of video playback.”

Problems with other services are not so pronounced, but they are there and there is no escape from 4G. Unless, of course, we want to consume any content “here and now”, and not postpone it for later. Can 4G be considered a radical solution with a margin for the future? It's hard to say, but today it is the best available on the market.

Techno specifics

Why is 4G so “good and comely”? Even with speed characteristics comparable to 3G, there are enough differences.

transmission stability. The speed depends on the specific location, distance from the base station and the load, there are no miracles. But LTE works much smoother, with an incomparably smaller number of "failures" and fading. Which is extremely important for comfortable viewing of streaming broadcasts. Video - of course, but there is little joy from the “stuttering” in 3G online radio or podcast.
High transmission speed "up" (to the network). Interactivity is a sign of the times, no matter how pathetic it may sound. You want to share your own photos and videos no less than to view someone else's material. 4G allows you to do this at speeds that are almost unattainable in 3G. And for operational work with photos and video, 4G has become almost the only acceptable solution in the "field" conditions. For domestic needs - similarly, video calls from a smartphone in 4G are finally pleasing with sound and "picture".
Short response time (latency) is a separate issue that many people forget about. It's not just about online games that require fast network response. In everyday use of mobile Internet, the “responsiveness” of a smartphone is also a big plus. Even in good 3G, hundreds of small delays add up to one big annoyance, albeit on a subconscious level. 4G in this sense provides a completely different level of comfort in the browser, but it's useless to talk about it, you need to try it yourself to understand the difference.
And, of course, speed is also never superfluous, including for work. Quickly downloading an entire mail with a dozen documents and a couple of presentations is not bad in itself, but with the popularity of cloud storage, the speed of data exchange becomes more important.

In general, for the full use of mobile Internet in a smartphone, 4G is already clearly preferable, this is a fact.

Equipment

Smartphones are already sold more than ordinary phones, in financial terms - much more. The share of devices with LTE support is growing rapidly, such smartphones have already left the category of expensive exclusives and exotics. At MegaFon, based on the results of November 2013, the share of 4G smartphones in the structure of smartphone sales in the network of branded stores reached 5.5%, and in the branded online store - 20%. According to MegaFon's forecasts, in Q2-Q3 2014, up to 50% of smartphones on the Russian market will have LTE support.

On the website of the MegaFon online store, everything is conveniently sorted and smartphones with 4G support can be viewed in a separate section. Among the top models are Apple iPhone 5s/c of various modifications and colors, Nokia Lumia 1520, Sony Xperia Z Ultra C6833, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N900 and others.

It is not easy for everyone to navigate all this 4G wealth, so MegaFon has “equipped” its own special resource, which collects all the current models of 4G gadgets available on the Russian market - 4gdevices.megafon.ru. In fact, this is a unique for Runet and always up-to-date guide to 4G gadgets.

Last summer, MegaFon was the first in the Russian market to offer its subscribers an inexpensive branded 4G smartphone with excellent features for reasonable money, you can read the review. Subsequently, the price was reduced to 5,000 rubles. and the device became a bestseller. Unfortunately, not for long, as stocks were quickly taken apart.

As for the story with Apple iPhone 5s/c smartphones (the initial blocking of Apple for the Russian market), now everything is in order with this and the devices work fine in the LTE network. According to (yet) unconfirmed data, several operating MegaFon LTE 800 base stations have already been seen in Moscow, which inspires a certain optimism for owners of iPhone 5s / c brought from the USA.

Obviously, fast and high-quality Internet is the most important component of a modern smartphone, it is its “engine”. And a good car should please the owner not only with its appearance, but also with the dynamics of acceleration. To feel the "dynamics" of 4G, you need to try it, and with the current choice of models - why not?

A little about 3G

3G speed parameters today are more than modest - no more than 3.6 Mbps. But the fact is that since the advent of third-generation networks, they have been significantly improved. Now instead of the 3G icon, we often see H or H + which means an improved version based on 3G. H allows you to overclock the Internet up to 5.7 Mbps, and H + even up to 42.2 Mbps.

Is high-speed tariffs really necessary?

Actually not really. We rarely download more files on our smartphone and for this we usually have Wi-Fi. For example, this is the speed required to watch online video:

2160p (4K) - 35-45Mbps 1440p (2K) - 16Mbps 720p (FullHD) - 5Mbps 480p (HD) - 2.5Mbps 360p - 1Mbps

As you can see, with a good signal, H + can handle 4K. Not to mention games, music and small file downloads.

In addition, most smartphone screens have a resolution of 1920×1080 (FullHD) or 1280×720 (HD). If you run 2K or 4K video on them, you will not notice the difference, the small display and the limitation on the number of pixels per inch simply will not allow it. Plus, tariffs with a limit make us save traffic.

Why we don't use 4G

While the technology allows for high-grade rates, the ISP networks prevent them from taking full advantage of them. This is especially true for metropolitan areas. Within the boundaries of a large city, 4G will often work worse than H +.

Here's an example for you:

If you have a poor 4G signal, then the smartphone will run out of power faster, as it will constantly lose connection to the network and all the time trying to restore it.

Does this mean that you can buy a smartphone with 3G?

It is better to buy a smartphone with 4G support. We have described the situation today, but no one knows how things will work in the near future. Operators in pursuit of subscribers improve equipment and increase network coverage.

Conclusion

Bottom line, we see that although new networks significantly expand communication capabilities, in reality they are often overloaded and not always able to provide the user with high speed. Of course, a lot depends on the mobile operator, the quality of network coverage, and even on the signal reception module in the smartphone itself.

Perhaps over time the situation will change, but for now it is quite possible to get by with 3G networks (H, H+). We use 3G in forced mode.

Many are interested in the question of how to find out if the Phone supports 4g. A large number of people use mobile devices that provide the ability to access the Internet. But, here we are talking about the technology of the fourth generation. How to find out if a SIM card supports 4g is also to be figured out.

What opportunities does the technology provide?

In Russia, such a product is in great demand, although it appeared relatively recently. A few years ago it was hard to believe in the opportunities that are available today. For example, data is transferred at a rate of approximately 150 megabits/s. The vast majority of resources are loaded instantly. The film in excellent quality will be loaded within about 10-15 minutes.

But to enjoy these benefits, you need to know which phones support 4g LTE.

Find out if the device supports the technology

Such information should be indicated in the technical specification. In the document, as a rule, you can read what kind of data reception and transmission standards are provided. If it is marked that an LTE module is provided, then the phone can function in the latest generation network.

You can also check on the phone itself. Go to its settings and select mobile connection options. In the "Network Type" item, you will see all the networks that are available on your gadget.

Not all smartphones allow you to select LTE, although they support it. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active belongs to such models. Use the program ShowServiceModeForGalaxy LTE to connect.

If the gadget and the SIM card are in order, but there is still no high speed connection, check the coverage area map or check with the operator if they support fourth-generation technologies.

What to do if the phone does not support 4g?

There is only one way out of the situation - to purchase another model. Often, store sellers themselves talk about the presence of such a function. They understand that a large number of consumers will pay attention to this argument. At the office of any cellular company, they will tell you how 4g lte networks are supported - what it is, what are the advantages of the technology. You can also buy a modern phone here. Competent consultants will help with the choice of model. You can also contact directly using the voice call function.

If the sim does not support 4g lte, then you need to change the sim card. If it does not have the inscription “4G LTE” on it or the SIM card was released before 2013, then almost certainly it does not have the ability to connect to the network at high speeds.

A new type of communication will soon work in Ukraine - 4G (LTE). The first tender for the frequencies needed for such networks has already been held the other day. Operators promise that the first LTE icons on smartphone screens will appear very soon. At the same time, only about 15% of smartphones in networks are ready to work with 4G.

1. What happened?

There is an active preparation for the introduction of 4G. Three operators bought up frequencies in the 2600 MHz range, and the tender for 1800 MHz is next in line. According to mobile companies, 4G will start working in major cities in the coming months. However, not only operators, but also subscribers need to prepare for 4G, since not all smartphones support the new communication standard.

2. What do you need to know about it?

First of all, you need to remember that the frequencies of the 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands, on which the technology will work in Ukraine, in the international classification correspond to the names Band 3 and Band 7 respectively (sometimes referred to as b3 and b7).

This is important, because the documentation, many online stores and official websites use exactly this terminology. Ideally, a smartphone should support frequencies in both bands. Then in Ukraine 4G will work wherever there is coverage.

3. And how do I know if my smartphone supports 4G?

The easiest way to find out about LTE support is to look in the smartphone settings. If the “Network Mode” tab (or similar) has 4G in the options, then your smartphone supports the technology. But this is not a reliable way - not all phones in this section show 4G, although they support this type of connection.

The next thing to do is to check the information in online stores and on the official website. It is better to look at the official website, as often there is information about those very ranges. You will find out if your smartphone supports LTE, and, if so, which bands.

4. I can't find information anywhere. Where else can you see?

As a last resort, visit the website. Find your smartphone using the search above and look at the section NETWORK. If opposite the column LTE the necessary “bands” are indicated, then = the phone supports the communication standard. Important: pay attention to the model of your smartphone (depending on this, the supported frequencies may differ), as well as the region - you need Europe or the EMEA region.

5. This is sorted out. And what about "sims"? Do they need to be changed too?

Yes, for those who still have regular SIMs. 4G support requires new USIM cards that run 4G. Kyivstar subscribers can find out about the compatibility of SIM cards with 4G by the number indicated. If the SIM card does not fit, then the operator offers to change it for free at any branch.

Vodafone said it will soon also introduce a "handy way to check" the card's 4G compatibility. Those customers of the operator who have not bought or changed a card since the beginning of 2017 will have to change their SIM cards. This can be done free of charge at the nearest service center.

6. My smartphone does not support 4G. What to do?

The only way out is to buy a new one. Fortunately, there are now a lot of budget smartphones that support this type of connection.

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