LTE – Changing the face of Wireless Broadband

Introduction to 3GPP LTE

3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the name given to a project within the Third Generation Partnership Project to improve the UMTS mobile phone standard to cope with future requirements

Key features of this “Evolution” include
• Significant enhancements in data rates (Min 100/50 Mbps DL/UL)
• Reduced latency (idle to active < 100ms, Small packets < 5 ms)
• Improved coverage and spectral efficiency
• Optimized network architecture (cost-effective solution for Carriers)
• Better integration with other open standards
• Mobility[Optimized: 0–15 km/h High performance: 15-120 km/h]

LTE giving a new dimension of Wireless Broadband

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project – Long Term Evolution is being started to provide higher data rate at low cost.

With flat and very flat architecture and making eNode-B more efficient the entire system cost has been reduced. Higher spectral efficiency is achieved by introduction of MIMO, cooperative MIMO, OFDMA and SCFDMA. Keeping in mind the constraint that might be put by different telecom authorities several flexible channel bandwidths, ranging from 1.25MHz – 20 MHz, are considered in the standards. Mobility, which gives LTE a major edge over other Wireless Broadband techniques, upto 120Km/hr is expected to be functional. Mobility even at 350Km/hr is also in consideration. Moreover LTE is designed to provide mobility between non – 3GPP and 3GPP network.

Reasonable power consumption at UE is also kept in plan.

Coming to data rate, LTE aims for data rate of 100Mbps at downlink and a data rate of 50Mbps.

The areas where LTE will put new bench marks:
• Rich voice, high quality video conferencing.
• P2P messaging, Photo messages, IM, mobile e-mail, video messaging.
• Browsing, Super-fast browsing, uploading content to social networking sites.
• Paid information, E-newspapers, high quality audio streaming.
• Personalisation, Realtones(original artist recordings), personalised mobile web sites.
• Games, Downloadable and online games, a consistent online gaming experience across both fixed and mobile networks.
• TV / video on demand, Broadcast television services, true on-demand television, high quality video streaming.
• Music, High quality music downloading and storage.
• Content messaging and cross media, Wide scale distribution of video clips, karaoke services video-based mobile advertising.
• M-commerce, Mobile handsets as payment devices, with payment details carried over high speed networks to enable rapid completion of transactions.
• Mobile data networking. P2P file transfer, business applications, application sharing, M2M communication, mobile intranet/ extranet.


Future prospects of LTE

If LTE hits the market in 2010, than in the next couple of year i.e. 2011 and 2012 LTE will going to make the significant market transaction. According to a new study by Juniper Research, nearly 24 Million Subscribers to Use 3G LTE Technology for Mobile Broadband Services by 2012.

One should keep in mind that other technologies like WiMax are going to give stiff competition. Hence LTE need to continually evolve in order to survive and grow in the market. LTE has to remain competitive not only in performance but also in cost.

Even a few people question that mobile whose prime purpose is voice communication, is there really a need for such a high data rate. LTE is not only for mobile phones it is targeting for all mobile devices, PDA, hand held devices and laptops. The following mentioned people will be the ready consumer for such high data rates:
• Anyone who is relying heavily on emails/web applications for daily communication.
• Professional performers.
• TV – Sports fans, live concert fans, anyone who cannot wait to miss the action.
• Video telephony – Business workers particularly who are at remote locations.
• Those who love online gaming.

LTE will get its start from developed economies, than it will move to progressive economies. Hence LTE will start from developed market of Europe and America.


Is WiMax a threat to LTE

As it has been projected that commercially available system of 3G LTE will be available by the year 2010, and WiMax had already started hitting the market, some people are skeptical about the success of 3G LTE. Remarks like by the time LTE reach to consumer the WiMax more or less would have taken the whole market. People also say that infrastructure and capital that would compel the telecom industry to restrain to WiMax and directly switch over to 4G instead of taking up LTE. In nutshell people say the reason of failure will be delay in entering the market.

Now coming back to question is WiMax a threat, the answer would be a big no. Reason being if you see the market trend for example processors, feature rich mobile phones, new OS and many more, what ever be the infrastructure been employed, every new technology is welcomed and been a success, provided it is better, faster, smarter and compatible with most of the previously used applications. Else we all know what the response the consumer gave to Vista.

What LTE answer to above mentioned doubts. 3G LTE promised that LTE is designed so that GSM, GPRS, EDGE operators can directly switch over to LTE network. As far as data rate is considered recent lab test achieved the targeted values, for example downlink data rate at 20 MHz is of 100Mbps and with 4X4 MIMO a data rate of 326.4Mbps was reached.

Conclusion

LTE has to hit the market in the year 2010, delay in months would result a certain negative deviation from projected profits. A delay greater than 18-20 months would give other wireless broadband technologies enough time to become strong and popular enough, that LTE may even find it difficult to breathe.


Dated: 25th Aug 08.