From the early days of basic cellular communication to the advanced capabilities of today’s high-speed data networks, mobile connectivity has played an ever-increasing, and pivotal, role in how businesses communicate.  

4G, 5G and LTE – which is right for your business?

As businesses continue to require faster, more reliable connectivity, understanding the key players in mobile network technology – 4G LTE & 5G – becomes fundamental:  

4G, short for “fourth generation,” marked a revolutionary leap in mobile connectivity. Unprecedented data speeds, faster downloads, smoother streaming, and enhanced overall performance became the rule rather than the exception.   

5G, or the “fifth generation” of mobile networks, emerged with promises of unparalleled speed, reduced latency, and massive device connectivity. Businesses embracing 5G anticipate transformative changes, from enhanced IoT capabilities to innovative applications that redefine industry standards.  

LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, serves as a crucial stepping stone in the mobile network evolution. Often used as an umbrella term encompassing various generations, LTE provides high-speed wireless communication while acting as the foundation for both 4G and, in some cases, 5G. LTE’s role in delivering consistent, high-quality connectivity has been instrumental in shaping the digital landscape.  

Speed, coverage, and reliability

In general, 4G LTE delivers speeds ranging from 5 to 100 Mbps while 5G offers speeds of up to 20 Gbps, noting that Gbps is 1,000 x faster than Mbps.  

In terms of coverage, 4G and 4G LTE are going to still have slightly wider coverage than 5G, but ultimately 5G is expected to become more ubiquitous, reaching even the most remote and rural areas. 

In terms of coverage, as of 2024 4G LTE has slightly wider coverage than 5G, but ultimately 5G is expected to become more ubiquitous, reaching even the most remote and rural areas.  

When it comes to reliability, 4G LTE provides generally reliable connectivity for everyday business operations.  It was first commercially deployed in 2009. The technology has since become widespread, offering faster speeds and improved connectivity compared to previous network technology. Over the years, 4G LTE has evolved with various enhancements, leading to better performance and coverage. As of now, it’s been available for over a decade and continues to be a dominant mobile network technology while the transition to 5G is underway. 

5G boasts enhanced reliability and was designed to handle many connected devices simultaneously via advanced technologies like beamforming and network slicing to ensure a more robust and dependable connection.  

How each technology suits business needs

For businesses operating in urban and suburban areas with moderate data needs, 4G LTE is well suited for applications such as video conferencing, cloud-based services, and routine data transfers.  

Of course, LTE serves as a more versatile option for various industries, including retail, healthcare, and manufacturing, in ensuring consistent connectivity and improving the overall experience.  

For businesses with high data demands, particularly those involved in emerging technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, or industries requiring real-time data transmission, such as healthcare and autonomous vehicles, 5G is the preferred technology.  

When considering mobile data, we typically look at three main factors: cost, coverage, and complexity. 

The first two of these factors are very straightforward. Cost refers to how affordable the available technology is for your budget, while coverage is about the availability of that technology in your area. 

Complexity is a bit trickier. 4G LTE technology is known for being compatible with almost any existing infrastructure, making it unlikely to run into compatibility issues. It fits well with most standard network architectures, which makes integrating it relatively simple. 

However, integrating 5G technology might be more complex depending on the type of 5G technology being used. For instance, 5G mid-band or C-band technology is easy to deploy and is expected to become as common soon as 4G LTE is today. However, 5G millimeter wave technology might be harder to deploy and could be limited to specific use cases because of its complexity. This means that existing devices and systems might need upgrades to take full advantage of 5G, which adds to the complexity of integrating it. 

Additionally, this almost always includes interfacing with an additional vender or service provider. 

Enter Bigleaf Wireless Connect

Bigleaf Wireless Connect provides 5G cellular connectivity delivered through a dual-SIM router; Wireless Connect can be added to any Bigleaf service plan to work with your primary connection to provide business continuity. Bigleaf makes it easy to help businesses mitigate outages and optimize network connectivity with Wireless Connect.

Both 20 GB and 100 GB plans are available. The 20 GB is designed for failover, allowing you to take advantage of Bigleaf’s often-replicated-but-never-duplicated same-IP address failover, ensuring sensitive session-based calls, like VoIP and video conferences stay online even during internet outages. The 100 GB plan can be set for backup failover, or it can be set to load balance specific traffic classes to increase application reliability and performance.

Bigleaf Wireless Connect ensures single-vendor billing directly with Bigleaf, avoids data plan overage fees, simplifies the complexity of contract and billing management from multiple vendors, and eliminates the hassle of dealing with unconnected support teams. 

Learn more about Bigleaf Wireless Connect and what it can do for your business today!