If you have a smartphone and use it to make calls or to connect to the Internet, it is certain that an icon will appear in the notification bar that shows the level of coverage. Next to this there is a letter. These letters can be six, depending on the characteristics of the mobile: 4G, H +, H, 3G, E and G. What do each of these letters mean?
Most likely, you have already noticed that with some letters the Internet connection is slower. Actually, those letters only indicate the type of mobile connection that the mobile is using. Some of those mobile connections are higher-end, while others are not. Some allow faster data transfers, and some use less battery power. What type of network corresponds to each of these letters?
1.- G for GPRS: We start with the one that appears on all smartphones. There is not a single smartphone that does not support GPRS networks. Its acronym comes from General Packet Radio Service, or general packet radio service. It is an extension, and therefore includes, the global mobile communications system, which is what we usually use to make calls. This network is the most widespread throughout Spain. When we lose high-speed coverage, we will most likely still have GPRS coverage. It allows transfer speeds of 56 to 144 kbps. It is a very slow network, and most likely not suitable for surfing the Internet. It will even be slow to send and receive messages on WhatsApp, for example, although if we are patient, it will work. It is the best for making calls, because it is the most widespread, and we will almost always have coverage. If we are at home, and we never have coverage, selecting only 2G networks like GPRS could be the solution.
2.- E for EDGE: Its acronym comes from Enhanced Data rates for GSM of Evolution, which in Spanish means Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution. In theory, this connection is already considered as 3G, but the truth is that its maximum speed is 348 kbps, which still seems little. We will have problems browsing the Internet, watching a video or downloading a large file is something unthinkable, but in principle we could speak on WhatsApp with relatively high ease, as well as send emails that only include text. It is the letter that usually appears when we believe that the Internet is slow because we do not have coverage. We don't actually have high-speed network coverage, but we do have EDGE.
3.- 3G or UMTS: Its acronym comes from Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, although we usually refer to it more as 3G. However, in some smartphones, instead of 3G, a letter U appears, and it is for UMTS, although it is the same. It is considered to be the third generation of mobile system. It is a standard created to transmit voice and data, so we can make phone calls with these networks, as well as an Internet browser. Its speed reaches up to 2 Mbps. The biggest problem is that this network is not as widespread as it is with the GPRS network, which means that relying solely on 3G to make a call may not be the best.
4.- HSDPA H: Its acronym comes from High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access. It is based on UMTS, but the truth is that it includes a new shared channel in the downlink, which allows reaching download speeds of 14 Mbps. With this speed we can watch videos without any problem. As well as downloading large files, or even applications, without the need to be connected to a high-speed broadband WiFi network.
5.- H + from HSUPA or HSPA: Its acronym comes from High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access. In reality, it is a system similar to the previous one, although not only the download speed is improved, but also the upload speed in the transfers, so that speeds of 22 Mbps upload and 84 Mbps download can be achieved. The difference with the previous system is that by having a higher upload speed, we can not only download video, but also send it, so that the basis for making IP calls, or even high-quality video calls, is established.
6.- 4G or LTE: It is the fourth generation of mobile connections. Its implantation in Spain is not very widespread, although the operators insist on saying yes. The theoretical connection speeds would allow us to reach 50 Mbps upstream, and 100 Mbps downstream, speeds that many of us do not even have on fixed connections at home.