They’re everywhere now… promises to bring “4G” speeds to your mobile devices.  Like the words “Organic” or “Natural” in the food industry, it’s hard to know what, exactly, 4G means.  Is there an official 4G standard?  Let’s explore the basics of 4G and find out…

According to the International Telecommunications Union, mobile broadband technology meets the 4G “threshold” when it delivers downloads of at least 100 Mbps (megabytes per second).  By comparison, Sprint’s Mobile WiMax service offers 3 to 6 Mbps; T-Mobile’s HSPA+ offers 5 to 8 Mbps; and Verizon’s LTE network offers 5 to 12 Mbps.  AT&T claims it will have HSPA+ available to a small segment of its users by the end of February 2011 but doesn’t currently offer any phones compatible with a so-called 4G network.  In other words, none of the major carriers currently come close to the 4G standard.  It sure makes for great advertising to say you do, though…

That said, these actual speeds the carriers are capable of are big improvements over “3G” service.  Laptop magazine tested Sprint’s 4G service in the New York City area and came away with speeds of 1.92 to 7.55 Mbps — in line with the abovementioned speeds but, more importantly, much higher speeds than 3G.  When the same tester switched to 3G, he experienced speeds ranging from only 200 Kbps to 400 Kbps, a significant reduction in service.

The real-life improvement is dramatic when viewed in the context of common daily tasks.  Full websites loaded in 5-7 seconds vs. 17-24 seconds under 3G.  Hulu videos took less than 12 seconds to start under 4G vs. 30 seconds or more under 3G.

The issue presently is coverage.  Sprint’s service is available in 61 markets, T-Mobile’s in about 75 major metropolitan areas, and Verizon’s service is available in 38 metro markets.  And all three offer 4G handsets, unlike AT&T.

The bottom line, then, is that 4G may not be 4G, but today’s 4G is a lot faster than today’s 3G.  As Laptop states, let’s concentrate on these differences and on performance and value considerations rather than the absolute 4G speed offered today.  That will presumably climb over time but the benefits are now.