More Tech Acronyms to Unravel
Verizon has a clever video which shows how the general population has only a vague idea what 4G is and even less clarity on what LTE or USB stand for. Although, there might be a feel for the concepts behind these letters, clarity is missing.
Recently, one of our customers needed a WiFi extension in their office. As it turned out, the ideal solution was a Pantech 4G LTE USB modem. To answer the question, “What does the 4G LTE modem do?” I turned to Chris Gardner, Alliant System Engineer.
Here’s what I discovered. 4G is Fourth Generation in the progression of broadband networks. 5G is promised, but not here yet. It relates, as you probably assumed, to the speed of your connection on your smart phone. Some areas my Droid gets only a 3G signal. Others? 4G speed!
What about LTE? Long Term Evolution. Meaning part of the process of improving mobile phone connectivity or a standard by which true 4G speed could be measured. Google’s comment was, “users of the LTE network should see data speeds that are up to 10 times faster than the current 3G network.” The obvious implication is that 4G speed is a vital part of the LTE effort of “improving wireless broadband speeds to meet increasing demand.”
And USB? Once again Google proved helpful. This particular acronym has been around a while and is like electricity. We use it without really knowing what it means. Google says, “The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is technology that allows a person to connect an electronic device to a computer.” Right. Like my printer. Or my cell phone charger. Or my external Hard Drive.
And that leads us to the conclusion that this little device (4G LTE USB modem) can be plugged into a computer or laptop through a USB port. Then we are to understand that as a simple modem it allows the device to connect to the same broadband services that a smart phone would at the 4G speed.
And there you have it!
The small hand-held 4G LTE USB modem basically provides your laptop with a wireless connection to the internet. Instead of depending on Starbucks WiFi – which may not be secure – you have your own anywhere connection. Just like your cell phone has. In the car. At the office. At home. On the commuter train. On the plane (if they’ll let you). Connection to the internet for less than $50 (not including data).
Pretty cool. A portable internet connection at an affordable price. Alliant can help if you’re interested. 626-461-1300 to call us. Talk to Chris!
