LTE Network: Frequencies, Bandwidth, and Throughput

 

LTE Network

LTE, Long-Term Evolution  is a standard for wireless broadband communication for mobile devices and data terminals, based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA standards. LTE, as a cornerstone of modern communication, LTE has fundamentally reshaped how we access and share information by providing high-speed internet and reducing latency significantly. 

What makes LTE superior system compared previous GSM and UMTS is that most of the functions within the BSC and RNC with respect to the previous technologies are now embbedded within the LTE  eNodeB, which is a radio component. 

The key features in  LTE to take note are MIMO technology, Carrier Aggregation, 256QAM modulation and Carrier bandwidth when implemented properly offers high data rate and low latency. These elements, alongside the understanding of uplink and downlink processes, subcarriers, and the structure of the LTE spectrum, form the foundation of LTE's ability to support a vast array of services, from standard voice calls to the provisioning of LTE private networks. 

LTE Architecture

Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network are  structured around three main components: the User Equipment (UE), the Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC). 

The E-UTRAN is the radio part of the LTE system which sit  beteween UE and EPC   and handles all the  radio communications between the User Equipement(UE)  and the EPC. The E-UTRAN is just a base station or eNodeB. Each eNodeB controls the LTE CPE, Mobile phones, data terminals within one or more cells, managing both radio transmission and low-level operations of the mobile phones.

 Remember that 2G and 3G capable phones ONLY do not support LTE however it is important to note that every LTE terminal or phones support 2G and 3G. This means if you have LTE phone it should work on 2G and 3G technology. 

Key LTE Features Explained.

I have mentioned MIMO Technology, CA(Carrier Aggregation), 256QAM modulations and Bandwidth Capacity as the main key component which made this system superior. Now let me explain in simply terms.

MIMO Technology,  MIMO utilizes multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to increase the capacity and speed of data transmission, therefore this technology implemented at the Antenna level on which connect to the eNodeB via CPRI  fibre optic cable and the antenna inside your LTE phone.

For your information MIMO technology are also implemented in lot of Wi-Fi system.

There many types of MIMO systems. eg 2x2 MIMO, 4x4 MIMO, 32x32 MIMO, 64x32 MIMO, 64x64 MIMO etc.The most common is 4x4 MIMO on high-end Apple, Samsung, Google Pixel and Huawei phones.  You can check if your phone support 4x4 MIMO or any higher MIMO version by googling it www.google.com

CA(Carrier Aggregation):  Carrier Aggregation (CA) is a technique used in LTE-Advanced to increase the frequency bandwidth by combining together two or more Component Carriers (CC). For example you can combine carriers from LTE800 FDD with bandwidth of 20MHz, 10MHz, 5MHz.  Equall you can combined LTE800 FDD with BW 20 and LTE2600 with bandwidth of 15MHz, 5MHz

256QAM modulations:  LTE support 256QAM  in addition to all the lower modulation schemes such as 64QAM, 16QAM, QPSK etc. 256QAM is 8 bits. This mean LTE system can transmit 8 bits per every symbol. In 64QAM, only 6 bits can be transmitted per symbol.  

Bandwidth(MHz): This is capacity of the radio channel, the higher the bandwidth, the more data or packet could transmitted by the LTE network. For example LTE 1800 with a bandwidth of 20 will theoritical gives you a throughput of 100Mbps. I will explain the calculation of BW, RE(Resource Element), RB(Resource Blocks) later.

LTE networks are exceptionally suited for supporting mission-critical applications that require high reliability, low latency, and secure connectivity. These applications include public safety communications, remote healthcare, and industrial automation. The ability of LTE to support such demanding applications underscores its role as a robust and versatile communication standard that can meet the critical needs of modern industries and services.

Economic and Infrastructural Benefits

The deployment of LTE networks offers substantial economic and infrastructural benefits. We find that LTE networks can be deployed more efficiently and cost-effectively compared to older cellular technologies. They require fewer cell sites and less infrastructure, which leads to lower deployment and operational costs for network operators. This, in turn, can translate to more affordable services for end-users, making high-speed internet access more accessible and widespread. Furthermore, the economic impact of LTE has been profound, contributing significantly to job creation and economic growth.