Advantages of the new network technologies: 4G and diversity

At this point, we will limit this article to the advantages of the new network technologies. It's a more technical topic compared to previous topics, but it's worth commenting on because we're talking about technologies that give our WiFi networks a higher connection speed, more stability and reliability.

All of this is referred to as 4G or LTE. What is it and what are the benefits?

It is a communication protocol, ie the way in which a mobile data station, eg a mobile phone, communicates with the telephony provider's data network. This protocol is currently only offered in large cities, but it is increasingly expanding geographically and massive implantation is foreseeable soon. In order to benefit from the protocol, our mobile terminal must be able to support this protocol. In the case of Wifi systems, the internal modem of our WiFi router must contain 4G technology, otherwise we will not be able to connect with this protocol and therefore not enjoy the benefits it offers.

What makes 4G technology so interesting?

The main advantage is the speed. In theory, the LTE network allows download speeds of up to 100 Mbps, although telephony providers claim average speeds of 20 Mbps to 40 Mbps. However, these bandwidths are truly incredible and should be seen as a huge step forward in terms of third generation (3G) mobile network bandwidths.

This speed increase offers our travelers a better service because, due to the higher bandwidth, the distribution capacity to the connected travelers is more powerful and thus the customer experience and perception of the quality of service is perceived as more positive. Ultimately, what the transport company wants to achieve when they want to install WiFi in their vehicles is that their passengers will use the service and the feedback will be as positive as possible.

Finally, we will look at another new technology that helps improve our WiFi service on the bus: Diversity Technology.

What is this new technology?

Thanks to this technology, better communication stability and higher speed are mainly achieved.

This technology is based on the use of multiple antennas for signal reception, which in the case of 4G antennas must be at least one meter apart. For example, if you combine two separate antennas and connect them to the same WiFi router, we get a double recorded signal measurement of the operator's mobile network. We therefore have two different and independent measurements, since the antennas are in different positions and the reception obtained may differ depending on the antenna. From this base, the router receives the signals from the antennas and combines them into a single signal, so that if there is an incomplete signal, it can be supplemented by the signal from the second antenna and subsequently achieve a complete signal. The result is a more stable and faster connection.

Just like 4G technology, our equipment must be able to support diversity technology in order to take advantage of it and reap the benefits. For this reason, it is important to have WiFi routers with diversity in order to have a more stable and reliable internet connection for our passengers.