All About LTE

[Karthik R 246]

LTE has been all over the news this year - Reliance Industries (RIL) looks set to deploy TD-LTE services in 2011 in India, WiMax v/s LTE, The Indian government have approved Qualcomm’s investment in four fixed broadband services that will use LTE...

Let us try to understand what LTE is all about.

Long Term Evolution (LTE), is a new radio platform that is the primary technology behind 4G – the evolution of 3G networks. Where 3G made mobile data a reality, 4G will make it a much better one. It has been in development for around 10 years now, and has begun to see some releases worldwide. The very first LTE network was launched by TeliaSonera in Norway and Sweden, Verizon launched their LTE service in 38 markets in late 2010. Elsewhere the network is still at the trial stage.

Boiled down to it’s basics, here is what LTE does:

• Theoretical download peak data rates up to 100 Mbps and upload peak data rates up to 50 Mbps with 20 MHz bandwidth
  
• Reduced latency to 10 msec round-trip time between user equipment and base station
  
• More capacity than 3G – an LTE network can support more users in a single area
  
• Larger cell size. A single LTE cell tower can cover up to 100km. While that size will be greatly diminished in a heavy urban area, it’s still a lot better than 3G
  
• Compatability - LTE is designed to be compatible with existing standards
  
• Ease of upgrade - Part of the reason it has taken so long to develop LTE is that it is planning forward a lot. The networks are being designed so that implementing upgrades further down the line will be much easier.
  

TD-LTE has been gathering steam over the last few months, and now a lot of operators are experimenting with it. It stands for Time Division LTE, and was developed by China Mobile over the last three years. To keep this as simple as possible, here are the essential differences and similarities between TD-LTE and classic LTE:

• They run on different bands of the wireless spectrum. But the part of the spectrum that would carry the TD-LTE signal is much cheaper, and has much less traffic.
  
• TD-LTE and LTE are so similar that the same chip can access both networks – which is much easier for handset manufacturers.
  
• The other standard for 4G, WiMAX, is not particularly compatible with LTE. There’s talk that it WILL be compatible in the future, but it’s not at the moment. TD-LTE, however, can be pretty cheaply and easily upgraded to from WiMAX.
  

A novel radio access technology is implemented by LTE, which bodes well for IP-based traffic largely. Another advantage of this technology is its offering an uncomplicated upgrading track from existing 3G networks. A mobile networks core architecture also may evolve from LTE that would be known as System Architecture Evolution, which can effectuate significant perormance augmentations over 3G. This technology, further can enhance spectral efficiency with double the efficacy of 3G and HSPA standards. The numerous wireless broadband networks of the times can exploit the higher data speeds and capacity evolved here, as good as any other media application. Other significant advantages presented by this technology are - cost reduction per bit, services increment at low costs, Usage flexibility of new, as well as existing frequency bands, open interfaces, simple architecture, and a considerable reduction in terminal power consumption.

LTE can co-exist with earlier 3GPP radio technologies, even in adjacent channels, and calls can be handed over to and from all 3GPP’s previous radio access technologies.

What is LTE architecture?

The evolved architecture comprises E-UTRAN (Evolved UTRAN) on the access side and EPC (Evolved Packet Core) on the core side.

The figure below shows the evolved system architecture

More technical info here Since it is a evolving technology, experts are requested to give their opinion and the post will be modified accordingly

To see the latest LTE deployments and commitments check LTE Maps

Sourced info from missphones, gomonews

Edited January 16, 2011 by Karthik R

[digitalnirvana 646]

Thanks for the information +1, please could you increase the picture size depicting 3G->LTE network, could not read the boxes.

[gmkarthikeyhan 2]

Is LTE a GSM technology or it is CDMA technology...

[Pulkit Gupta 47]

thanks for the details man very nice info +1 for u

[Honest 836]

+1 Karthik Bhai for the information.

[inception 75]

@gmkarthikeyhan

LTE is upgrade way for CDMA and GSM both, but upgrade from GSM is easier than CDMA!

GSM: GPRS/EDGE> EDGE evolution> 3G/UMTS> 3G/HSPA > 3G/HSPA+ > LTE

CDMA: CDMAone > CDMA2000 1x > EVDO > LTE

[Greatest 55]

I think from the explanation provided above, LTE is a GSM technology..

But I was thinking all the while now that it is a technology from the CDMA table..

BTW, nice post there Karthik, only thing is I need to keep my facts right...

[vvinayakpai 26]

Excellent article!!!!!

+1 to you

Edited January 16, 2011 by vvinayakpai

[Karthik R 246]

Greatest ji

LTE is evolutionary path beyond 3G technology - following EDGE, UMTS, HSPA and HSPA+ as Rudradeep mentioned. It is seen as a part of the GSM family of technologies but the contradiction here is that LTE supports both FDD and TDD mode on the contrary GSM does not, it is strictly Time Division.

And all roads lead to LTE - both GSM and CDMA operators can deploy of LTE (of course they need to have the license and spectrum!).

CDMA biggies in the US like Verizon and MetroPCS are aggressively pursuing LTE and expanding the network. Verizon in fact have put up an ambitious plan to cover the whole of USA by 2013!

To find out much more about the Verizon LTE network head to this Verizon website

Hope this helps

[Greatest 55]

^^^ Sahi hain bhai...

[pasumark 51]

"Larger cell size. A single LTE cell tower can cover up to 100km"

So a single cell site is enough for whole of Mumbai?

[Karthik R 246]

A single LTE cell tower can cover up to 100 km with acceptable performance. While that size will be greatly diminished in a heavy urban area like Mumbai, it will still be better than 3G.

[KAPILKDEV 68]

Very good info Karthik

[rajanmehta 4,056]

A single LTE cell tower can cover up to 100 km with acceptable performance. While that size will be greatly diminished in a heavy urban area like Mumbai, it will still be better than 3G.

Mukesh Ambani should be pleased no end with this unexpected bonanza which he can discover here at RIMweb

With 1 LTE Cell Tower each, it will take him just about 500 Towers to Cover all major indian cities and towns...

His Capital Cost for Towers For LTE rollout then drops from few thousand crores to just few hundred crorers...May be Even Less...

Mukesh Ambani already thinking of building a new Dream Home in Kerala Backwaters....

[parin 857]

Sahi kaha Rajan bhai,

But lets see what mukesh have for us

[shashank 8]

Guys, that 100km coverage is only theoretical estimate!!! In that sense even a normal GSM is said to have 30km transmit range per tower! But whats the reality? Does Airtel have only 2 or 3 towers in mumbai? IIRC, they have around 500towers in mumbai!

Similarly, due to high subscribers and high rise buildings, don't be surprised if the transmit range of LTE may drop to say 10km in a city like mumbai!

[raccoon 53]

All those towers aren't there because the actual range is limited! Its there to allow for frequency reuse. Edited January 18, 2011 by raccoon

[Karthik R 246]

TRAI to start consultation process on 4G by June

Even as the operators are yet to start offering NextGen 3G mobile services on full stream, telecom regulator TRAI today said it would come out with a consultation paper on fourth generation mobile (4G) services by the middle of this year.

The fourth generation or 4G technology offers download at faster speed known as ultra-broadband and high definition video on demand among other such services.

"I expect 4G to come in India next year. TRAI will bring out a consultation paper on 4G in the middle of this year," TRAI Chairman J S Sarma told reporters on sidelines of a function organised by Assocham-Deloitte to release a study on Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS).

4G or LTE is a successor to 3G and 2G standards, with the aim to provide a wide range of data rates up to ultra-broadband (gigabit-speed) Internet access to mobile as well as stationary users.

TRAI would look into the various aspects, including spectrum band to be allotted for 4G service and quantum and modes of allotment to the operators. The paper would throw up various questions for the industry and other stake holders to deliberate culminating into recommendations by the TRAI.

Courtesy : mydigitalfc

[dkaile 1,051]

HTC ThunderBolt will support simultaneous voice and data in LTE areas

Edited January 19, 2011 by dkaile

[inception 75]

as we can see tata docomo n reliance 3g has few takers as the tariff is high!

if LTE/BWA/4G/3.9G does not come affordable it will be fail!

I expect within 3 months with all operators with 3G market will undergo another tariff war on data front!

as we can see tata docomo n reliance 3g has few takers as the tariff is high!

if LTE/BWA/4G/3.9G does not come affordable it will be fail!

I expect within 3 months with all operators with 3G market will undergo another tariff war on data front! 3G operators will have competition from BWA players also! Data is the main source of revenue for operators in coming days!

[digitalnirvana 646]

^

Rudradeep,

Tariff war will only come if MDA comes and shakes up the market. Others are followers, MDA is leader. Just my opinion though and would be happy to see a tariff war with consumers benefiting.

[dr.faramroze 703]

Excellent contribution Mr Karthik ! LTE Base Transceiver Station (tower) will cater to a radius of upto 100 kms range. Yes. But that doesnt mean Mumbai and Thane will share the same cell site. The bts has an important aspect that is the number of packets it can support at a time at a fixed modulated frequency. It is designed to operate on different number of subscribers (terminals) that can be handled at real time but to a limit. So there has to be a network which also has repeaters and small arrays because communication is always line-of-sight. It will certainly be a boon to Reliance as fewer sites would be required. Moreover BTS sharing and proximal interference will no longer be a problem. Huwaei and ZTE will give excellent vendor pricing for LTE equipment. Verizon is deploying its LTE technical migration to Anritsu.

[inception 75]

@digitalnirvana

if LTE comes in end of 2011, what will b feat of 3G?? I guess with costly 3G tariff & few takers, private 3G players will go bankupt! As 4G is expected to be affordable from MDA!

[Greatest 55]

^^^ Only time will tell RDB..

[Karthik R 246]

China starts 4G TD-LTE trials

China, the world’s largest mobile-phone market, may begin commercializing TD-LTE technology standard for fourth-generation mobile services next year. They have started trials of Time-Division Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE) technology that would allow Chinese mobile phone users to exchange data faster than that is possible in the present 3G networks.

The tests are expected to last 18 months, according to the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The director of the telecommunications development department for the ministry Zhang Feng said China will complete the research and development of commercial equipment for TD-LTE technology in 2012.

The trials are being organised by the ministry and are meant to explore the commercial use of the TD-LTE technology. China Mobile is overseeing the construction of the networks. Companies which specialise in building telecommunications equipment like Huawei, Nokia-Siemens Networks and ZTE will also participate in the trials. The tests will be held in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xiamen.

Source : cbronline