The main difference between the industrial 3G router and the industrial 4G router is that the embedded module is different, the 3G module is embedded in the industrial 3G router, and the 4G router uses the 4G LTE network. The difference between the two modules is also the difference between 3G and 4G networks, so we look at the difference between the two from the development history of 3/4G.

 

Technically, there are many differences between third-generation (3G) network and fourth-generation (4G) network (also known as LTE (Long Term Evolution) network).

 

In order to understand their operations, I will start from the first generation (G) network to LTE. In addition, I will try to describe every term I use, or rather, avoid them.

 

Prior to the advent of 3G or 4G networks, the first generation (G) network was the first network discovered and put into use in the United States in the early 1980s. The transmission of this network is similar. The principle is to use FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) to send communications. That is, it can only be used for phones (duplex transmission) applied to cellular networks. The life of the network occurred between 1980 and 1995.

 

After the 1995 G network, it was the evolution of 2G network. A great innovation is the deployment of the digital transport-based network using Universal Mobile System (GSM). The principle is to use frequency to transmit communications based on time slots, where each time slot represents communication. This is called TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access). This generation was first used for telephone and SMS (Short Message Service), but was later used in conjunction with GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) to enable users to access the Internet. GPRS basically transmits packet data on the network, that is, allows users to send and receive data on mobile phones or terminals, such as pictures, videos, network information, and the like. The IP (Internet Protocol) access here is a maximum of 100 kilobytes per second, which is very low.

 

2002-2003 is the discovery of the third generation network from UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). The technology used here is called the spread spectrum based on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), which makes it possible to access IP networks at a rate of 1 Megabyte per second.

 

The third generation was completed on 3.9G, also known as HSDPA (High Speed Data Access),  which allows higher throughput of 10MB per second deployed in 2008.

 

LTE is the latest network technology. It's all over Africa and elsewhere. The technology has very different methods. The transmission on this interface is based on OFDMA (orthogonal FDMA). So far, the maximum throughput of this product is about 100 MB per second. It aims to address the high IP access requirements that arise today. LTE has been deployed since 2010, but it will take some time to reach this area.

 

All in all, the difference between industrial 3G router and the industrial 4G router depends mainly on their technical methods and the IP access rate that describes their browsing speed.