4G: The future mobile technology

With the rapid growth of user demands, and the limitations of third generation (3G) mobile communication systems, it is expected that fourth generation (4G) mobile systems are likely to reach the consumer market in another 4-5 years. 4G systems are expected to become a platform capable of providing increased bandwidth, higher data rates, and greater interoperability across communication protocols, and user friendly, innovative, and secure applications. This system will primarily focus on seamlessly integrating the existing systems like GSM, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth. This paper describes modulation scheme, different technologies, and network architectures that support 4G mobile systems. Challenges and some applications will also be presented. At last recommendations will be followed by conclusion.