Lte types. LTE - what is it in the phone, how to use it

A simplified story for those who are not yet in the subject of what to expect from the transition from LTE to LTE-A.

LTE Advanced (abbreviated as LTE-A) is the next step in the evolution of LTE networks. This is a new technology that is expected to help cope with the active growth in wireless data traffic, as well as help improve average speeds on wireless cellular networks. This also means better coverage, more stability and faster networks. That is, it's not just about the fact that downloading data will become faster.

LTE Advanced is much faster

The table below is a compilation of data to give an idea of ​​how much wireless data rates are expected to rise.

Theoretically possible data rates are almost never achieved in real-life commercial networks. Actual speeds will vary across networks and locations on the same network, but still, on average, we can expect LTE-A networks to be at least 5 times faster than most LTE networks today. Good news for everyone who loves video streaming, at least if your plan includes a large enough data transfer volume.

How will we migrate to LTE-A?

The launches of 4G (fourth generation) mobile networks in the US have not gone smoothly. The fact is that some operators, in a marketing frenzy, decided to refer to the services of their 3G networks as 4G services. This has led to what is often referred to as "true 4G" or 4G LTE networks today. But this, in fact, is a sin before the truth. The first LTE networks do not meet the requirements for a network that, according to the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) definition, can be considered a 4G network, for example, in terms of peak speeds.
Only now with LTE Advanced looming on the horizon can we expect to get the first 4G networks. Let's take a closer look at what to expect from new networks.

How LTE Advanced works

LTE-A is expected to provide operators with the ability to expand the capacity of their networks, improve the quality of user experience, and improve the ability to allocate network resources. For this, a whole set of different technologies is used, some of which are not new, but were not previously used in a single communication system.
The main fundamental innovations that distinguish LTE-A from LTE are frequency aggregation (CA - Carrier Aggregation), improved use of multi-antenna technologies (MIMO), as well as support for the relay mode of switching base stations (RN - Relay Nodes).

Frequency aggregation provides the ability to provide subscribers with higher speeds, allowing them to download data using multiple frequency bands simultaneously. Your smartphone in CA mode receives and combines several signals at the same time, for example from two carrier frequencies or even from different frequency bands. You can combine up to 5 carriers with a width of 20 MHz each, collecting from a giant "pipe" for transferring data with a bandwidth of up to 100 MHz.
MIMO has already been written more than once, this is a multiple input-output technology that can increase the total data transfer rate by simultaneously transmitting a signal with a split data stream between two or more antennas. This allows you to increase the spectral efficiency of information transmission, or, to put it simply, a way to "squeeze" more out of the operator's frequency resource.

Relay Nodes are a way to quickly expand network coverage in areas where there is no powerful digital data transmission channels. In this case, the LTE-A radio subsystem itself performs the function of the wireless backbone. It is also possible to place low-power base stations at the edges of the cell to improve coverage and capacity there.

What we need?

LTE-A is believed to be backward compatible with LTE. But you will not be able to "automatically" switch to LTE-A, even if your ISP turns on support for this technology. You will need a new subscriber device (devices!) With a built-in chip capable of supporting LTE-A. Such chips, among others, are ready to supply Qualcomm, Broadcom and Nvidia. Probably Samsung can be included in this list as well. IPhones with LTE-A support do not yet exist.

When will we receive LTE-A networks?

The world's first LTE-A network recently went into commercial operation in South Korea. Until the end of 2013, the number of LTE-A networks in the world is likely to grow further, and starting in 2014, the launch of LTE-A support will become a common phenomenon.
In particular, Verizon said it will begin providing LTE-A services "soon". AT&T mentioned plans to launch in the second half of 2013. Going to launch support for LTE-A and T-Mobile US.

There remains, as is almost always the case with advanced technology, some disagreement over what counts as "true LTE-A". And, as happened with 4G, which is often referred to as technologies that do not meet the requirements of 4G according to the ITU version, it is to be expected that the first LTE-A networks are unlikely to meet the requirements of the ITU.

There is also no clarity on the question of whether operators will start trying to charge additional funds for LTE-A services? In a number of markets, it will probably be difficult to implement, but somewhere, for example, in the United States, this is a very likely scenario.

Should we wait for the launch of LTE-A in Russia? Undoubtedly. This is likely to happen back in 2013, if Yota deems it necessary to acquire the appropriate opportunity from Yota Networks, and MegaFon does not block this decision. Taking into account the two frequency bands of 2x15 MHz band 7 available to Yota Networks, there is an expediency in launching LTE-A. It also opens up an opportunity to improve the service offered by operators of multi-band networks - such ones will soon appear in Russia (they have already appeared, if we count the combination of FDD LTE and TD LTE). If not in 2013, then almost certainly - in 2014, and there a variety of terminals with LTE-A will arrive in time.

The terms LTE and 4G have long been heard and are gradually becoming part of the vocabulary of a modern person, and with the advent of a new generation of Android smartphones and the release of the iPhone 5, we just need to know more about this technology, just so that there is no confusion, and for general development.

In this article, we will try to give the simplest answers to the most popular questions about LTE.

What is LTE?

Developed by the consortium 3GPP Long Term Evolution (literally, “long-term development”), in the generally accepted abbreviated form - LTE - is a new standard for mobile networks with increased bandwidth and data transfer rates. LTE uses different frequencies, but operates on the basis of the used GSM / HSPA networks, in fact, being their improved version. The term 4G, or "fourth generation wireless communication" is used synonymously with LTE, emphasizing the differences between this standard and 3G. According to preliminary forecasts, by 2016 the total number of mobile broadband subscribers could reach 5 billion people.

How LTE (4G) differs from 3G

First of all, you need to understand that 4G LTE is an evolutionary, not a revolutionary way of development, involving the use of the capabilities of the existing infrastructure. 3G networks will continue to fulfill the task of delivering broadband services to billions of mobile device users for a long time to come, and with equal efficiency. But 4G, nevertheless, confidently predict the role of the generally accepted mobile communication standard in view of a number of obvious advantages of 4G LTE technology, the main of which are:

• higher productivity and bandwidth;
• Simplicity - LTE supports flexible bandwidth options from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz, as well as frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division (TDD) full duplex data.
• latency - in LTE, a significantly lower delay in data transmission for user plane protocols in comparison with existing third generation technologies (an extremely important advantage, for example, for servicing multiplayer online games).
• a wide range of end devices - it is planned to equip not only smartphones and tablets with LTE modules, but also laptops, game consoles, video cameras and other portable and household devices.

LTE speed

The capabilities of LTE technology provide for a data transfer rate of up to 299.6 Mbit / s for download and up to 75.4 Mbit / s for upload. However, in LTE, the speed in each specific case largely depends on both the location of the user and the current load on the network. But LTE is evolving: two years ago, at the MWC-2010 congress, a possible peak throughput of up to 1.2 Gbps was demonstrated. Nevertheless, for example, in Singapore, where the national LTE coverage is provided by the operator M1, the average download speed in LTE does not exceed 75 Mbps. In the near future, the company is going to increase the speed to 150 Mbps by using the frequencies that are currently used to support the outdated 2G standard.

Why are LTE frequencies different in different countries?

Despite the fact that LTE is very actively developing all over the world, there is no single frequency band on which 4G operators work in different countries of the world. This is due to the fact that the radio frequency spectrum in many states is under the control of government agencies, and the activities of operators are licensed. In different countries, certain frequencies are already used by other services (like digital TV), so telecommunications companies have to use those that are currently available and wait for the opportunity to access the new band, as is the case with the Singapore M1.

Most commonly used LTE frequencies

In Asian countries, this is 1800 MHz or 2600 MHz. It is on these frequencies that operators in Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea operate. In Japan and the USA - 700 MHz or 2100 MHz. In Europe - 1800 MHz or 2600 MHz.

In Russia, LTE licenses were obtained by Rostelecom (791-798.5 / 832-839.5 MHz, Band 20), MTS (798.5-806 / 839.5-847 MHz, Band 20), Megafon (806-813.5 / 847 -854.5 MHz, Band 20) and VimpelCom (“) (813.5-821 / 854.5-862 MHz, Band 20), which will start providing 4G LTE services from July next year.

In Ukraine, LTE networks are just beginning to develop, and, according to experts, at least one and a half years will pass before the start of its full-fledged commercial operation. The reasons for this lag are problems with regulation and licensing, as well as insufficient capacity of the transport network.

A universal LTE smartphone?

There is no such device yet, since manufacturers have not yet developed such a compact antenna that could provide reception and transmission of a signal at least at the most popular LTE frequencies at the same time. Therefore, they say that an iPhone 5 bought in the States may not work in Asian and European LTE networks. But you shouldn't be especially upset, there is always a universal one, available in all countries of the world. However, if we take into account the global trend towards the shift of telecom operators towards the LTE standard and the rate of release of previously occupied frequency ranges, then in the future we can expect the emergence of a common frequency range in different countries and regions of the world. This means that the problem of developing a universal LTE smartphone can be somewhat simplified and its creation is only a matter of time. Let's hope this happens very soon.

4G LTE is expensive

Like the 3G standard at one time, the new 4G also does not yet differ in democratic tariff setting. Cheap 4G LTE is not yet offered, so users have to pay more for speed and performance. However, the real cost of LTE is when you ignore the amount of data downloaded or transferred.

LTE smartphones on sale

In addition to the aforementioned iPhone 5, which Apple will begin selling on September 21 this year, several more smartphones can work with LTE networks: HTC One XL, Samsung Galaxy S II LTE, LG Optimus True HD LTE and the Galaxy Note LTE. Also, the LG Optimus G and Galaxy S3 LTE should be on sale soon.

LTE technology news

In our country, the 4G LTE standard is still only a prospect, and not the closest one. However, for those who often travel abroad, there are plenty of opportunities to experience all the benefits of LTE. The growing popularity of this communication standard is also evidenced by the fact that the new iPhone 5 from Apple is available in three different versions at once, each of which is designed for a specific LTE frequency range. So the model A1428 (GSM) iPhone 5 supports LTE only in the US and Canada and operates at 700MHz. The A1429 (CDMA) model is targeted at the networks of the US operators Sprint and Verizon, as well as the Japanese KDDI.

And finally, the A1429 (GSM) iPhone 5 operates at 850 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz and is the most versatile, since these are the frequencies that are used for LTE communications in many countries of the world (except for the USA and Canada). Apple support states that the A1429 (GSM) model is LTE compatible in Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, Korea, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. In other words, this means that if you live in Ukraine and often visit Europe, then when ordering iPhone 5 from other countries, choose A1429 (GSM). Accordingly, those who visit the US more often should buy the A1428 (GSM) iPhone 5. Also, do not forget that this regional distinction concerns only LTE-specific devices, in 3G networks each of them will work in any region of the planet.

Samsung may acquire Nokia Siemens Networks(Aug 3, 2012)
South Korean corporation Samsung is exploring the possibility of acquiring NSN, one of the largest manufacturers of universal equipment for communication networks. According to independent analysts and experts, the deal could amount to fifty-five billion dollars. An NSN spokesman said that Samsung's management is interested in the bulk supply and global production of equipment for unique wireless mobile networks.

It should be recalled that today there are not so many mobile companies in the world capable of making this purchase, and in the international operator equipment market such an asset would only be affordable for Ericsson or Huawei. However, such a financial deal does not fit into the strategic policy of Ericsson, and the second corporation already has a similar infrastructure. It should be mentioned that a Chinese corporation is being considered as a potential buyer of NSN. As for the South Korean manufacturer of mobile equipment, Samsung previously produced branded stations for the WiMAX model, but this service lost its leading position to the innovative LTE technology.

Good day to everyone who is interested in this article! Today we will tell you about what LTE bands in Russia are used by mobile operators and which of them is in the lead, we will tell you about the features of LTE, and also explain what a "band" is and what it is for.

Let's not linger, let's get down to the main part of the article as soon as possible.

A few words about Long-Term Evolution and global performance

This is how the abbreviation LTE stands for. And it translates as "long-term evolution, long-term development." However, we are more accustomed to calling this technology 4G LTE or simply 4G.

LTE is the modern standard for high-speed and wireless data transmission for smartphones and other devices. Today, in the developed countries of the world, the discussed standard is no longer an innovation that surprises with its speed.

So, for 2016, according to statistics compiled by the OpenSignal agency, the five countries with the best 4G LTE coverage include:

1. 95.7% - South Korea;
2. 92% - Japan;
3. 84.7% - Lithuania;
4. 84.5% - Hong Kong;
5. 84.1% - Netherlands.

And the five "nimble" states were:

1. 50 Mbps - Singapore;
2. 46 Mbps - South Korea;
3. 40.6 Mbps - Hungary;
4. 35.6 Mbps - Romania;
5. 35 Mbps - New Zealand.

Let's go back to the technology itself. The reason for the emergence of this type of standard was the goal of the developers to increase the speed and bandwidth of networks using a new method of modulation and digital signal processing, as well as to simplify the architecture of networks working with IP addresses.

Detailed overview of the functioning of the standard

The 4G LTE specification can provide upload speeds of up to 173 Mbps and download speeds of up to approximately 326 Mbps! However, the maximum data transfer rate in different countries, regions, cities and other settlements differs depending on the distance from the station and the radio frequency.

As for the bands, the 1800 MHz band is mainly used in the world.

It is interesting that the described standard is of two types: FDD and TDD.

Frequency Division Duplex, which means "frequency division of channels", gives part of the traffic for downloading, and the second part for sending data. Thus, parallelism is ensured, i.e. simultaneous work in two directions.

And in Time Division Duplex ("time division of the channel") the channel is either completely given for sending information, or completely for downloading.

Now let's talk about frequency. LTE networks are not compatible with 2G and 3G networks. Therefore, separate frequencies are allocated for them, which should be caught and supported by your mobile phones. Certain frequency ranges are allocated to 4G LTE bands and are called bands with the addition of a sequence number.

For example, band 7 for FDD download corresponds to the range 2620-2690, and for unloading - 2500-2570.

LTE in the Russian Federation

Well, now we decided to tell you about the situation in Russia.

As for the named state, the percentage of coverage almost reaches 70%, however 4G LTE does not function in all regions and not at full capacity. In some localities, this network covers only the administrative centers.

However, Russian mobile operators are actively expanding their coverage areas and tirelessly participating in auctions for the sale of 4G frequencies. Thanks to this, for 2017 the LTE specification is successfully functioning in slightly more than 80 regions.

Now let's look at the bands and frequencies.

In the Russian Federation, the standard operates in the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands. And the popular bands (band), as well as in Europe, are band 3, band 7, band 20.

The "big five" Russian mobile operators that provide 4G LTE to their customers include:

1. Yota - uses band 7 and provides 2x30 MHz channel width;
2. Megaphone - uses band 7, 20, maximum channel width 2 × 10 MHz;
3. MTS - uses all four LTE bands, the maximum channel width is 2 × 10 MHz;
4. Beeline - in the arsenal of band 7 and band 20, and the channel width reaches 2 × 10 MHz;
5. Tele2 - everything also uses bands 20 and 7, the maximum width is 2 × 10 MHz.

All networks are FDD.

It should also be noted that not all smartphones catch such a network. The best devices that support 4G LTE are the iPhone 6s, iPhone 5, 5s, and 7th generation models.

So we told you all about the LTE standard and its development in Russia.

We hope that you have learned a lot of interesting and new things for yourself. We are waiting for you among the blog subscribers, and also do not forget to join our groups in popular social networks and services: Vkontakte, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube... Until next time!

Best regards, site team

3G (UMTS) networks in themselves were already quite advanced technology and their later 3.75G versions with support for HSPA + technologies were actually the forerunner of a new type of communication of the fourth generation 4G. Ultimately, LTE became the main 4G standard, which was then upgraded to LTE advanced. For LTE advanced, the following requirements were announced: the speed standard for moving objects is more than 100 Mbit / s, for stationary objects, more than 1 Gbit / s. Unlike its predecessors, thanks to the new LTE radio module, it no longer supports 2-3 main frequencies, but the whole frequency band from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. Channels became more broadband, and new types of signal modulation and a data transfer protocol that became completely digital (including voice) provided higher speed.

Comparative table of GPRS, 3G, 4G networks

For equipment of 4G networks, about 70 standard frequency bands, the so-called BAND, are allocated.

Used in Russia.

3 in the range of 1800 MHz FDD; 7 in the 2600 MHz FDD range; 20 in the 800 MHz FDD range;

31 in the 450 MHz FDD band; 38 in the 2600 MHz TDD band.

BAND table used by mobile operators in Russia

The designations FDD and TDD denote the types of signal processing FDD is Frequency Division Duplex (frequency separation of the incoming and outgoing channel), TDD - Time Division Duplex (time separation of the incoming and outgoing channel). In this case, if we have a channel width of 20 MHz in FDD LTE, part of the frequency range (15 MHz) is given for reception, and part (5 MHz) for signal transmission. The channels do not overlap in frequencies and provides a stable download and upload of data. TDD LTE completely gives up the bandwidth for receiving and transmitting, but data is transmitted alternately, while receiving data receives a higher priority.

According to statistics, the most common LTE band in our country is 1800 MHz, and therefore you should buy a 4G signal repeater for this particular frequency.

4G LTE Categories

Since the range of frequencies used is quite large, and almost every year improvements are invented for the receiving and transmitting equipment (new types of modulation, support for frequency aggregation, and much more), special categories were introduced to standardize the equipment. The essence of these categories is quite simple - the higher the category, the higher the speed of reception and transmission. The most widely used categories today are CAT3-CAT4. This means that the maximum attainable speed of mobile Internet for receiving (DownLink) can be 150 Mbit / s, for transmission (UpLink) - 50 Mbit / s. For an ordinary user, knowledge of the category of LTE equipment is currently a very important factor, since many new devices (the same mobile phones or routers) hardware may simply not support the required data exchange rate. Today, in most new models of phones, modems and routers supporting the LTE standard, the category number is usually indicated. Let's make a reservation that today devices of the 5-6 category are just beginning to appear on the market. Although in fact there are already 16 categories and they will still be added, we give here a table for 14 main categories.

As you can see from the table, starting from category 6 (cat.6), the devices already have the new LTE-A (Advanced) standard. LTE-A is practically the same LTE supporting the so-called frequency aggregation. Frequency aggregation allows a smartphone, router, modem to work at several frequencies at once, thereby expanding the channel for receiving and transmitting information. In this case, the device is connected to several BANDs at once, which are served by the operator. Accordingly, this will be possible if the router or phone hardware supports the LTE-A standard.

So today, the theoretical speed of the Internet in 4G LTE networks from 1Gb and higher is limited mainly by the manufactured equipment, i.e. manufacturers have yet to catch up with existing standards ... And 5G is on the way, but we'll talk about that a little later.

Even a first grader today knows how to use the mobile Internet. Developed wireless technologies make it possible to access the network not only from computers and laptops: most phones, players, tablets and other gadgets have Internet access. For the average user, the communication standard is not important: it is not necessary to know how 3g differs from 4g and what lte means in order to download applications, view the news feed on social networks and watch movies online.

These questions become more important when studying the characteristics of the mobile Internet. What do the lte and 4g standards give and what is the difference between them?

find 10 differences

LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and refers to 4G technology. LTE is one of the first 4G standards, a stage in the development of this technology. The concept of LTE is included in 4G, being a subtype along with another technology, WiMax 2. In the characteristics of many devices, 4G and LTE are indicated together, a single term. In other words, the question of what is the difference between lte and 4g can be safely answered: they are one and the same technology.

What is the difference between 3g and 4g? In the evolution of wireless technologies, 3G stands a step below 4G. At one time, the emergence of the 3G Internet opened a new era of the mobile Internet, but today 3G is inferior to 4G in terms of data transmission speed. The advantages of 3G technology can be attributed to its age: 3G has been used for almost 20 years, while 4G began to be developed only in 2008, so 3G is still in the lead, albeit without a large gap, in terms of coverage.

4G and LTE Q&A

We figure out how to connect LTE and why 4g is good: questions to Wifire specialists.

- How to connect 4g on my smartphone?
Answer: In the same way as connecting mobile Internet of any format. 3G, 4g and lte can be connected at the office of the Wifire provider or directly on the website. Choose a suitable tariff plan, check the prices and leave an online application!

- I have already activated the mobile Internet service. How to enable 4g ​​on your phone?
Answer: To enable 4G internet, you need to activate the mobile internet function on your device. You may need to change the network mode after connecting to the internet. To do this, select 4G (LTE) in the settings of mobile networks. Unfortunately, we cannot provide detailed instructions on how to enable 4g ​​on your phone, since the settings menu for different models is significantly different. You can contact the service center of your device manufacturer or your communication service provider for assistance.

- What are the advantages of 4G?
Answer: The main advantages of 4G are parameters such as data transfer speed, file upload speed (upload) and file download speed (download). High speed indicators allow us to offer our subscribers uninterrupted wireless communication throughout Russia, and you get fast mobile Internet at an attractive price.

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