Gigabit LTE: Way Before 5G

Gigabit LTE: Crazy-fast wireless speeds, explained.

What is Gigabit LTE?

Gigabit LTE is an advanced form of LTE, the 4G wireless technology that the cellular carriers use to connect mobile devices. Just check out the upper right-hand corner of your phone -- the letters LTE (which stand for long-term evolution) will appear next to the signal bars.
Gigabit LTE is named so because the connection speed peaks at 1 gigabit per second, or the same speed that Google Fiber offers its landline-based internet connection. In other words, really, really fast stuff.

How fast is Gigabit LTE?

Your mileage will vary based on where you live and how many people are also on the network. Australia carrier Telstra has launched its Gigabit LTE network, and it has seen speeds between 100 to 300 megabits per second, or nearly 18 times faster than the average speeds posted by T-Mobile and Verizon's recent performance in an OpenSignal test.
T-Mobile claims that a Gigabit LTE network let you download a two-hour movie in 15 seconds.

Which phones will be able to tap into this technology?

Samsung's Galaxy S8 is the first phone to run on Gigabit LTE, but it won't be the last. The capability is bundled into Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor (which powers the S8), so any phone getting that chip will likely tap into Gigabit LTE too.
As many as 10 Android devices will use the 835, according to Sherif Hanna, head of Gigabit LTE and 5G marketing for Qualcomm.

When can I get Gigabit LTE?

The carriers are all in different states of upgrading their networks to accommodate this technology. T-Mobile appears to be the closest, having employed all three ingredients. Its CEO, John Legere, vowed in January to be the first to achieve Gigabit LTE speeds.
Sprint, Verizon and AT&T have all said they'll get to Gigabit LTE later this year, too.

 

Posted in: Smart Phones