Toronto Sun

Still in awe over the latest 3G smartphone technology? Get over it. Fourth-generation wireless is just around the corner and chances are you’ll be shopping for a new 4G compatible gadget in less than three years, experts say.

Chipmaker Intel estimates millions of early adopters are already using a version of 4G networks especially for laptops, with the U.S., Russia and Japan paving the way.

And most Canadian wireless carriers are already weighing their 4G options, hoping to cut upload and download times as well as service more devices simultaneously with less risk of network overload.

Currently Rogers, Bell and Telus are running what’s often referred to as 3G+ technology using High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) networks. It’s what makes most iPhones and BlackBerrys in the hands of Canadian cellphone users today tick.

There are two main kinds of 4G wireless technologies, with one type already at work in select North American and overseas markets.

The first is called Long Term Evolution or LTE. Unlike 3G technologies, LTE can send calls using Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. It was designed to handle multimedia better too, moving effortlessly from cellular to WiFi and satellite.

LTE is considered a truer cellular based technology and is most likely to dominate the future marketplace because of its speed. 3G+ networks typically run at 15 megabits per second, LTE can hit 100 megabits or faster.

Then there’s WiMax. Generally speaking, its an older technology that grew out of WiFi, similar to wireless routers in homes, and was intended for wider fixed set ups such as regional office networks.

Telus has already named LTE as its 4G technology of choice. David Neale, senior vice-president of consumer products and services for Telus, expects LTE to be widely available by late 2012 or early 2013.

“Telus will deploy LTE when we believe it’s commercially viable,” Neale said.

Meanwhile, Canadian wireless startup Craig Wireless Systems Ltd. announced it would try and leapfrog the competition by launching Canada's first 4G

WiMax network bringing the high-speed wireless broadband service to Vancouver, B.C. South of the border, Clearwire by Sprint has rolled out pockets of WiMax in 16 states.

“While there's no question that so-called 4G will offer better, faster and more reliable mobile service than current technologies, carriers that claim to already be rolling out 4G networks are jumping the gun a bit,” said independent technology analyst Carmi Levy. That’s because the International Telecommunications Union hasn’t officially defined its 4G standards yet.

Only after the ITU stamp of approval will 4G compatible smartphones hit store shelves in Canada, Levy said looking out about two years.

And judging by the latest prototypes showcased at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, 4G enthusiasts will have to buy a new device to latch on to the network, Neale said.

“The good news for consumers is most of us are getting new devices every couple of years anyway,” Levy said.