What is 4G? The fourth-generation mobile connection explained
The network that made streaming, apps and video calls normal. Learn what 4G is, how LTE fits in, how fast it really is, and why it still matters in the 5G era.
4G is the fourth generation of mobile network technology, built for fast mobile broadband. It was first introduced in Norway and Sweden in 2009, when TeliaSonera launched LTE in Oslo and Stockholm. A 4G mobile connection is defined by the ITU’s IMT-Advanced standard, which targets data rates of at least 100 Mbit/s while moving and up to 1 Gbit/s when stationary.
4G is far from retired. 5G carried 48% of the world’s mobile data traffic at the end of 2025, so 4G and older networks still handled the other 52%.
Key takeaways:
- 4G launched commercially in Oslo and Stockholm in December 2009 and made streaming, video calls and app stores everyday tools.
- The ITU’s IMT-Advanced targets at least 100 Mbit/s in motion and 1 Gbit/s when stationary. The first LTE releases fell short, but LTE-Advanced meets it.
- LTE is the technology and 4G is the generation, and the two terms are often used interchangeably.
- 4G is still carrying a large share of the world’s mobile data in the 5G era.
- 4G carries voice as data (VoLTE), and it supports IoT options such as LTE-M and NB-IoT.
How does 4G work?
4G drops the old circuit-based design and carries everything, calls included, as internet-protocol (IP) data. Its main technology is LTE, short for Long Term Evolution, which uses wider radio channels (up to 20 MHz) and multiple antennas to move more data than 3G could.
Voice travels over 4G as VoLTE, or Voice over LTE. Other technologies such as WiMAX and HSPA+ were also allowed to carry the 4G label, but LTE became the global standard.
Is LTE the same as 4G?
Not exactly. LTE is the technology, and 4G is the generation. The first LTE releases did not meet the ITU’s full 4G requirements, but the ITU decided in December 2010 that LTE could be marketed as 4G. LTE-Advanced formally meets the standard, and the ITU calls it “true 4G”.
What are the main features of 4G?
- Mobile broadband: streaming video and music, video calls and app stores became routine on a phone.
- All-IP network: data and voice share one internet-protocol network. VoLTE carries calls over 4G.
- Lower latency: the ITU’s IMT-Advanced targets about 10 ms for critical uses.
- Higher capacity: more users can share the same spectrum than on 3G.
- IoT options: LTE-M and NB-IoT are low-power options that run on 4G networks and replace many 2G and 3G devices.
How fast is 4G?
The ITU’s IMT-Advanced targets at least 100 Mbit/s for fast-moving users and 1 Gbit/s for stationary ones. Real-world speeds are lower. At the 2009 launch in Oslo and Stockholm, LTE delivered real-world speeds of roughly 20 to 80 Mbps, about ten times faster than HSDPA 3G. Today’s speeds depend on your operator, spectrum and how busy the cell is.
4G vs 3G and 5G
- 3G (2001): mobile internet and video calls, with a minimum peak rate of 200 kbit/s.
- 4G (2009): all-IP mobile broadband for streaming and apps, with ITU targets from 100 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s.
- 5G (2019): a peak rate of 20 Gbps, latency as low as 1 ms and a user-experienced minimum of 100 Mbit/s, against 10 Mbit/s for 4G, per ITU requirements.
Read more in our guides to 5G use cases for business and omnichannel in a 5G world, or see where it goes next with 5G to 6G.
Is 4G being shut down?
Not broadly. 5G passed 3.1 billion subscriptions in the first quarter of 2026, yet it carried 48% of mobile data traffic at the end of 2025, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report. In some regions, 4G is still growing: Ericsson forecasts LTE subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa rising from 490 million in 2025 to 610 million by 2031.
Operators are mainly retiring 2G and 3G to free spectrum for 4G and 5G. Many 5G networks also still lean on 4G, since only about 90 of the roughly 390 operators with commercial 5G have launched 5G Standalone.
What does 4G mean for your business?
- Check device support. Devices stuck on 2G or 3G need to move to 4G, and phones need VoLTE support to keep making calls as older networks close.
- Plan for IoT. Consider LTE-M or NB-IoT for connected devices that currently rely on 2G or 3G.
- Expect uneven coverage. 4G speed and signal vary indoors and in rural areas, so keep a fallback that works without mobile data.
- Choose channels that fit. Rich channels such as RCS, WhatsApp and push need a data connection, which 4G provides. SMS works without one.
4G, messaging and Infobip
4G made always-on mobile data normal, which opened the door to rich messaging channels such as RCS, WhatsApp and mobile push. Infobip is a communications platform that combines them with SMS, so businesses can reach customers on the best channel for their device and connection.
With Smart Messaging, businesses can optimize messaging costs with the most efficient channel mix.
Conclusion
4G turned phones into everyday tools for streaming, video calls and apps. It still carries a large share of the world’s mobile data, even as 5G grows.
Check that your devices and voice services are ready for the shutdown of older networks, and use channels that reach customers on any connection. Infobip helps you do both with SMS, RCS, WhatsApp and APIs on one communications platform.
FAQs
4G is the fourth generation of mobile network technology, designed for fast mobile broadband. It carries voice and data as internet traffic and is defined by the ITU’s IMT-Advanced standard. 4G made streaming, video calls and app stores everyday tools, and its main technology is LTE, short for Long Term Evolution.
4G was first introduced in Norway and Sweden in 2009, when TeliaSonera launched the world’s first commercial LTE service in Oslo and Stockholm on 14 December 2009. The US and Japan followed in 2010. The ITU formally allowed LTE to be marketed as 4G in December 2010.
The ITU’s IMT-Advanced standard targets at least 100 Mbit/s for fast-moving users and 1 Gbit/s for stationary ones. Real-world speeds are lower and vary by operator, spectrum and congestion. At its 2009 launch, LTE delivered real-world speeds of roughly 20 to 80 Mbps, about ten times faster than the HSDPA 3G it followed.
Not exactly. LTE is the technology and 4G is the generation. The first LTE releases did not meet the ITU’s full 4G requirements, but the ITU allowed the 4G label in December 2010. LTE-Advanced formally meets the IMT-Advanced standard and is sometimes called true 4G.
5G is designed for much higher speed, lower latency and far more connected devices than 4G. The ITU sets a peak rate of 20 Gbps for 5G against 1 Gbps for 4G, and a minimum user-experienced rate of 100 Mbps against 10 Mbps. 5G also targets latency as low as 1 millisecond.
3G brought mobile internet, with a minimum peak rate of 200 kbit/s. 4G moved to all-IP mobile broadband built for streaming and apps, with ITU targets from 100 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s. 4G also carries voice as data through VoLTE, while 3G calls used older circuit-based technology.
Yes, widely. Ericsson reports that 5G carried 48% of mobile data traffic at the end of 2025, so 4G and older networks still carried the rest. Operators are mainly shutting down 2G and 3G to free spectrum for 4G and 5G, not retiring 4G.
VoLTE, short for Voice over LTE, carries phone calls as data over a 4G network instead of falling back to 2G or 3G. It enables HD voice and lets calls and data run together. As 2G and 3G networks close, phones need VoLTE support to keep making calls.