4G Forerunner versions

3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE)

The physical radio interface was at an early stage named High Speed OFDM Packet Access (HSOPA), now named Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA). The first LTE USB dongles do not support any other radio interface.The pre-4G 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology is often branded "4G-LTE", but the first LTE release does not fully comply with the IMT-Advanced requirements. LTE has a theoretical net bit rate capacity of up to 100 Mbit/s in the downlink and 50 Mbit/s in the uplink if a 20 MHz channel is used — and more if multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), i.e. antenna arrays, are used.

The world's first publicly available LTE service was opened in the two Scandinavian capitals, Stockholm (Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks systems) and Oslo (a Huawei system) on December 14, 2009, and branded 4G. The user terminals were manufactured by Samsung.^[13] As of Nov 2012, the five publicly available LTE services in the United States are provided by MetroPCS,^[14] Verizon Wireless AT&T Mobility, U.S. Cellular,^[16] Sprint,nd T-Mobile US.^[18]

T-Mobile Hungary launched a public beta test (called friendly user test) on 7 October 2011, and has offered commercial 4G LTE services since 1 January 2012.^{[citation needed]}

In South Korea, SK Telecom and LG U+ have enabled access to LTE service since 1 July 2011 for data devices, slated to go nationwide by 2012.^[19] KT Telecom closed its 2G service by March 2012, and complete the nationwide LTE service in the same frequency around 1.8 GHz by June 2012.

In the United Kingdom, LTE services were launched by EE in October 2012,and by O2 and Vodafone in August 2013.^[21]

Data speeds of LTE

	LTE
Peak download	100 Mbit/s
Peak upload	50 Mbit/s

Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e)

The Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005) mobile wireless broadband access (MWBA) standard (also known as WiBro in South Korea) is sometimes branded 4G, and offers peak data rates of 128 Mbit/s downlink and 56 Mbit/s uplink over 20 MHz wide channels

In June 2006, the world's first commercial mobile WiMAX service was opened by KT in Seoul, South Korea.

Sprint has begun using Mobile WiMAX, as of 29 September 2008, branding it as a "4G" network even though the current version does not fulfil the IMT Advanced requirements on 4G systems.^[23]

In Russia, Belarus and Nicaragua WiMax broadband internet access is offered by a Russian company Scartel, and is also branded 4G, Yota.

Data speeds of WiMAX

	WiMAX
Peak download	128 Mbit/s
Peak upload	56 Mbit/s

TD-LTE for China market

Just when Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax are vigorously promoting in the global telecommunications industry, the former (LTE) is also the most powerful 4G mobile communications leading technology, and quickly occupied the Chinese market. TD-LTE, one of the two variants of the LTE air interface technologies, is not yet mature, but many domestic and international wireless carriers one after another turn to TD-LTE.

IBM's data show that 67% of the operators are considering LTE, because this is the main source of their future market. The above news also confirmed this statement of IBM. While only 8% of the operators are considering the use of WiMAX. WiMax can provide the fastest network transmission to its customers on the market, but still could challenge LTE.

TD-LTE is not the first 4G wireless mobile broadband network data standard, but it is China's 4G standard that was amended and published by China's largest telecom operator - China Mobile. After a series of field trials, is expected to be released into the commercial phase in the next two years. Ulf Ewaldsson, Ericsson's vice president said: "the Chinese Ministry of Industry and China Mobile in the fourth quarter of this year will hold a large-scale field test, by then, Ericsson will help the hand." But viewing from the current development trend, whether this standard advocated by China Mobile will be widely recognized by the international market is still debatable