What is Internet Data Usage?
Internet data is a service provided by telecom service operators to the end users to enable them access the internet. The speed of the access and the nature of activities which the consumer can carry out often depends on the nature of the technology in use. Access technologies are usually classified into "Generations" to denote their age and characteristics, as follows:
- 2nd Generation Technology (i.e. 2G) is circuit switched technology which is relatively low-speed GPRS, EDGE mode or their equivalents;
- 3rd Generation Technology (3G) is packet and circuit switched and is in HSPA, HSPA+ mode or their equivalents;
- whilst, 4th Generation Technology (4G) is packet switched technology, that is, LTE, LTE-A mode or their equivalents. Each of these technologies provides different speeds and protocols for using the internet. Newer generations of phones are usually designed to be backward-compatible, so a 4G phone can communicate through a 3G or even 2G network.
What does G stand for?
As explained above, "G" stands for "GENERATION". When you connect to internet, the speed of your internet access is dependent upon the signal strength and the access technology. The technology is shown in alphabets like 2G, 3G, and 4G etc. right next to the signal bar on your mobile phone’s home screen.
Does the usage of 2G, 3G or 4G have impact on data usage? Can this also lead to depletion of data?
Absolutely, Yes. The higher the generation, the higher the speed, and consequently the faster your mobile data is consumed..