4G

abbreviation

Telecommunications, Digital Technology.

1. fourth-generation: being or relating to communications technology or a mobile device that supports much faster data-transfer speeds than previous versions.

   4G smartphones.

4G

abbreviation

1. fourth generation: a stage in mobile phone technology when data can be provided more quickly and on broader bandwidths than previously

Word History and Origins

Origin of 4G¹

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

Tests carried out by research group Policy Tracker, and shared with BBC's Morning Live, found that nearly 40% of the time a phone displays the 5G symbol, it is actually using a 4G connection.

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He says that even with the "standalone 5G" service, your phone can still drop down to 4G if a faster connection is not available.

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It said the symbol indicates a user is in a 5G-enabled area, and that networks "dynamically and seamlessly steer customers to the best connection, whether 4G or 5G, based on real-time factors like signal strength".

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It found that while phones often display the 5G logo, the data being transmitted is still carried by older 4G infrastructure.

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Vodafone said in a statement it was aware of a "major issue on our network affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services".

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