Why Is Your 4G Slow? 9 Possible Reasons And Solutions

Mark Dalio November 8, 2024 68 0

Have you ever experienced frustration with your 4G connection? Have you ever asked, why is your 4g slow? You’re not alone. An increasingly large number of people are experiencing slow 4G connections.

Slow 4G connections slow down your ability to stream movies or check emails and impact your overall user experience.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to speed up your 4G connection and get back to enjoying your internet experience. So, if you’re wondering why is your 4g slow, read on! This article will discuss the potential causes of why your 4g is slow and how to identify and fix them.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) On Why Is Your 4G Slow

1. Why is my 4G data suddenly so slow?

You likely have a slow 4G download speed due to overcrowding on the mobile internet rather than the network being out of service. If many people in your vicinity are utilising 4G simultaneously, this can significantly decrease your download and upload speeds in some situations.

2. How do I make my 4G faster?

You can make your 4G faster by following these methods:
Use external antennas
Get a new phone or hotspot
Use a MIMO Signal Booster.

What You’ll Need

To use 4G, you need a 4G phone, tablet, or mobile broadband device.

Reasons Why Is Your 4G Slow

Here are the reasons why is your 4g slow:

1. Phone Is Slowing You Down

If you are using an older phone model, your device is causing a decrease in loading times, even if you receive a strong 4G signal.

Your phone might be slow because:

Phone storage is full due to surplus files and downloaded apps
The phone’s software is out of date
Hardware has become slower over time.

2. Using Old SIM Card

If you upgraded your phone a while ago, your SIM card may not be compatible with 4G technology.

If you use an old SIM card, your data speed will be very slow compared to 4G. You can only access 2G or 3G speeds.

3. Hitting Mobile Data Usage Limit

If you exceed your phone’s data limit during any month, you could be charged extra fees or receive more than 4G data. Alternatively, your service provider could reduce the speed of your 4G service.

If your mobile phone’s data or credit balance runs low, your network provider may send you an SMS alert. Unfortunately, it’s possible that you may not receive the message.

To determine if this problem impacts you, consider the level of 4G deceleration you have been dealing with. If your 4G service deteriorates drastically for at least 24 hours regularly, you may have used up all your data.

4. 4G Network Issues

Occasionally, 4G networks experience difficulties that cause them to decrease speed or disconnect entirely.

If you have never experienced a decrease in the speed of your 4G connection before and are usually able to receive good speeds in your area, then there is likely a disruption in the network.

5. Not Getting Good 4G Signal

Your mobile phone might need help finding a strong 4G connection depending on your location. This could result in slower 3G speeds, or your signal may be lost periodically.

It is possible to check the signal strength of your Android phone by examining the signal bars. If the number of bars drops below one, it indicates that the network connection is weak and will likely become disrupted frequently.

Make sure to measure your 4G speed against your WiFi. If it’s significantly slower, this might suggest your 4G connection is weak.

You can determine if you will have decent 4G speeds at a certain area by examining the 4G signal strength. To check your 4G speed, visit your phone or SIM provider’s website and locate their coverage map. Input your postcode to view whether or not you are qualified to receive 4G speeds.

6. Using Unnecessarily High Amounts Of Mobile Data

If you frequently use your phone to access a large amount of data, this may cause your internet to appear slow, as it consumes all of your bandwidth.

Here are some common reasons that can occur:

Utilising apps that require a lot of data or have a lot of ads
Browsing web pages with lots of ads
Lots of apps are installed & auto-updates are turned on over 4G.

7. Using VPN

If you employ a VPN application, your web communication will be transferred through a different server, typically located in a distant place.

This can decrease your 4G speeds since the data must travel a longer distance.

8. Using Data Saver Mode

Certain current mobile phones can restrict the utilisation of 4G data. If this setting is enabled, your internet speed will likely reduce dramatically.

9. Experiencing 4G Congestion

It’s feasible that you are observing sluggish 4G downloads due to overcrowding on the cellular broadband network rather than the network going through a disruption.

When an excessive number of people in your vicinity are accessing 4G, this can lead to a sharp decline in the download and upload speeds in extreme cases.

Nowadays, it is infrequent to come up against 4G overcrowding, especially in developed countries. To find out if your connection is being overwhelmed, attempt to check your 4G speeds all day.

If your internet speed decreases during peak hours, when more people are accessing the web, it could result from network overcrowding.

So, these are the nine reasons why is your 4g slow.

Solutions To Why Is Your 4G Slow

Here are the solutions to why is your 4g slow:

1. Clean Out Your Old Phone

Clean your old phone to improve its performance:

Uninstall the unused apps that you don’t need
Update your operating system, if possible, with the settings app)
Delete unnecessary files, videos & photos
Clear the caches of apps you commonly utilise, especially web browsers (possibly from the settings app).

If none of the solutions successfully speeds up your phone, it may be necessary to purchase a new device. Refurbished phones are an option if you’re looking to save money.

If you don’t have the opportunity to clean your phone thoroughly, you should at least attempt to reboot it.

2. Contact The SIM Card Provider

If you want to use 4G technology, contact the company that supplied your SIM card. They could dispatch a new SIM to you, or it might be necessary to upgrade to a 4G data plan.

Ensure your mobile device is suitable for use with the 4G network. If it was manufactured after 2012, it should be capable of connecting to the 4G network.

3. Upgrade Data Plan

You must switch to a plan with a larger data allotment to address this issue. Another option is to reduce the 4G data you use by viewing fewer videos.

Alternatively, you may use a service provider that will require an additional fee based on the amount of data consumed rather than slowing down your 4G internet connection.

4. Call Your Carrier

You can contact your service provider to find out if there are any current problems or consult their website. In addition, all you can do is be patient until the troubles with the 4G system have been resolved.

5. Search For A Better Signal

Try relocating to a different spot to secure a stronger signal. Alternatively, switch to another cellular network with better 4G coverage in your region.

If you have a 4G device that is not a mobile phone, such as a 4G Wi-Fi router, moving it closer to a window or adjusting its angle may be beneficial. The spot where your device is significantly located influences the intensity of the 4G connection you will get.

6. Improve Your Web Speeds

When looking at the internet, you can increase your speeds by using the Brave web browser. This application is similar to Chrome, but it blocks all the ads you come across, lowering the amount of 4G data needed to explore the web and reducing the time it takes to load.

After utilising an app, it is beneficial to terminate it, and if you often use certain apps, paying for the premium version to avoid ads may be worth it.

It is advantageous to look at the App Store or Google Play Store to ensure you only download updates while connected to a Wi-Fi network. You may also prefer to turn off auto-updates altogether.

7. Turn Off VPN Or Use A Different VPN

If you want faster speeds, deactivate your VPN when using 4G.

If you need a VPN, consider connecting to a server near your current place. Alternatively, you could pick another VPN provider that offers a more rapid service.

8. Turn Off Data Saver Mode

Navigate to your phone’s settings and look for either “Low data” mode if you have an iPhone or “Data saver” if you have an Android. If the setting is on, turn it off and test your 4G speed once more.

9. Talk To Your Provider

Managing 4G network traffic is an intricate matter. The best thing to do is to inform your provider if your connection slows down during certain hours.

If the technicians cannot address the issue, feel free to lodge a formal complaint or terminate the agreement and switch to a different 4G service provider.

So, here are nine solutions to why is your 4g slow.

Conclusion: Why Is Your 4G Slow

Slow 4G connections can be frustrating, but there are many things you can do to speed them up.

It’s also worth noting that the 4G network isn’t perfect. There is a possibility that you will experience slow speeds in certain areas. If you have lived in a certain area for a while, you will likely notice that certain areas have better 4G coverage than others.

Clean out your phone by removing all of the unnecessary data. If you use your phone to stream media frequently or load up websites, you will likely have lots of data stored on your phone that you no longer need.

I hope this article on why is your 4g slow sounds helpful! Feel free to comment down your opinions in the comments section.

Mark Dalio

Mark is a tech-obsessed serial entrepreneur who also enjoys reading and writing. He has a strong urge to keep learning and talking about technology, which led him to become an author. Mark has co-founded two successful startups, one of which was acquired in 2018.