Fourth generation wireless communications: an analysis of future potential and implementation

Fourth generation (4G) wireless is an upcoming standard. It is being designed to allow communication between wireless devices across many different wireless standards. Fourth generation wireless will make it possible to seamlessly integrate many different standards, as well as integrate broadband communication wirelessly. This paper provides an analysis of fourth generation wireless features and how companies should decide if fourth generation wireless is the right solution. First, this paper discusses what fourth generation wireless is able to accomplish and compares it to the previous generations of wireless technology. Then, an analysis of how a company would determine the feasibility of adopting this technology is provided. There are already some areas of the world that are testing and using fourth generation wireless, and this paper will also give a brief overview of a few of these companies, as well as some benefits and setbacks of fourth generation wireless. The paper ends with a look into the future of fourth generation wireless and what lies ahead.