LTE

LTE is the latest standard in mobile network technology, an evolution of GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA cellular networks. With a new radio-access platform that allows operators to achieve higher throughputs with greater capacity than current 3G networks, LTE offers more efficient communications not only with speed but with cost as well.

The current LTE specification provides downlink peak rates of at least 100 Mbps, an uplink of at least 50 Mbps and scalable carrier bandwidths from 1.25 MHz to 20 MHz, all with much simpler and more flexible network architecture. LTE uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) on the downlink to achieve extremely high peak data rates in high spectrum bandwidth. Current technology would result in highly complex terminals at bandwidths equal to LTE; this is where OFDMA has the edge. On the uplink, however, LTE uses Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) to bolster power efficiency.

One of the greatest advantages of LTE is capacity. For example, each LTE cell will support up to four times the data and voice capacity when compared to HSPA. Other advantages include low latency, plug and play, and support for both frequency division duplexing (FDD) and time division duplexing (TDD) in the same platform. LTE will also support seamless passing to cell towers with older network technology.

The combination of LTE’s increased bandwidth efficiency and flexibility, simpler network architecture, and added capacity present a very cost-effective value.