What 4G Is All About and Why You Should Care Why it might make sense for your business to embrace the next generation of mobile now.

With technology, the trick is to buy in at the right time and at the right price. So with the next generation of mobile--dubbed 4G, or fourth generation--rolling out now, should you take the plunge?

The short answer is yes. In most cases you'll get faster connections and the most cutting-edge phones, at a price that isn't too much higher than what you're paying for 3G (this generation) service today. But that doesn't mean there aren't some decisions to make, made more difficult by a lot of jargon. Here's a rapid-fire 4G primer to equip you for some next-generation wireless shopping.

What is 4G, exactly?
Faster mobile internet service. How much faster? It depends. And you probably won't get a straight answer from your service provider. One problem is that the term 4G has morphed from something with a strict industry definition (100 Mbps-plus mobile service, or networks about 10 to 20 times faster than current ones, according to the International Telecommunication Union), to a marketing phrase mobile providers use to describe their upgraded networks, regardless of measured speed. So, caveat emptor.