Wi-Fi or 4G, which network to choose at home?

Wi-Fi or 4G at home, what to choose? Wi-Fi to avoid mobile network congestion, of course, when your connection status allows it.

In our hyper-connected life that is ours today, we would be very annoyed if we couldn’t connect our devices wirelessly. Wi-Fi, 4G/5G, Bluetooth, numerous protocols allow us to connect our devices and gadgets without restrictions, wherever we are. At home, it is easier to use a wired connection. But if you want to do without cable, then the next question is: Wi-Fi or 4G?

Wi-Fi or 4G at home, what to choose?

With the conclusion, we have seen how the ways of using have undergone a profound change. Cedric Oh, Secretary of State for Digital, called for digital citizenship in March 2020. It was about prioritizing professional and educational use (there should be leisure after that), using standard quality over HD, downloading during off-peak hours, etc. The goal was clear then: avoid congestion during rush hour. Otherwise, opt for as much Wi-Fi as possible rather than 4G.

Wi-Fi to avoid mobile network congestion

But why this particular choice? Obviously there is a technical reason. 4G connections pass through frequencies that circulate between the smartphone and the relay antenna located outside, at a more or less close distance. However, this antenna has limitations on the number of simultaneous connections. Once this number is reached, it is crowded, the connection is difficult, the speed is more than limited.

This explains why a “fixed 4G”solution – through a box that connects in 4G to a relay antenna and allows devices in the home to connect via local Wi-Fi – is only effective in sparsely populated areas. Something the telecoms regulator regularly reminds us of: these offerings “make it possible to quickly provide households with good quality high-speed broadband access that do not currently have access to satisfactory offers. On the other hand, 4G network bandwidth is divided between fixed 4G box users and mobile users.” In fact, “if the number of users increases, the operator will have to densify the network to maintain the level of throughput, and hence a satisfactory quality of service.”

After all, it’s pretty simple. Mobile communications are likely to be congested faster than wired communications. And it is for this reason, in part, that 5G was developed – and for video games, too. This will allow many more concurrent mobile connections to be supported, but it has been deployed far too little today.

when your connection state allows it, of course

So use Wi-Fi in your home as much as possible. Moreover, the latest versions of the protocol allow you to achieve impressive speeds. This reduces congestion on the mobile network. Of course, this switch can only be made with wired access. If the landline is congested – for example, when all family members are connected to it – it makes sense to switch to mobile communications.

And now even phone calls from your smartphone can be transferred over a wired connection thanks to Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi). If your phone is compatible, don’t hesitate.