Lte 4G: Long-Term Evolution, the next generation of mobile telecommunications technology. Lte stands for Long-term Evolution and is the network technology adopted by 3GPP (the Third Generation Partnership Project), which is responsible for developing the standard for Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS). The project was launched in 2004 at the 3GPP Toronto Meeting and has since been gradually evolving to its current form.
-
Performance: The main difference between LTE and 4G lies in their respective speeds. In 4G, the maximum download speed can reach up to 100 Mbps, whereas LTE's minimum bandwidth requirement of 20 MHz supports peak rates of up to 100 Mbit/s for下行 transmission and 50 Mbit/s for uplink transmission. This performance superiority makes LTE particularly suitable for high-speed data transfer tasks such as video streaming, high-definition audio, and real-time image applications.
-
Technology Architecture: LTE is designed with a layered structure, consisting of multiple radio access nodes (RANs) called Node B. This differs from traditional 3GPP networks, which rely on RNC nodes to manage and coordinate radio resources. As a result, the LTE architecture follows a more IP-based cellular network topology, closely resembling the Internet Protocol (IP) broadband network structure.
-
Three Network Operators' Capabilities: While each operator provides distinct mobile internet services using different technologies (TD-LTE for China Mobile, FDD-LTE for China Unicom, and TD-LTE for Verizon Wireless), they all share similar capabilities. These operators offer mobile Internet services utilizing 3G technologies such as CDMA, WCDMA, or GSM, with various flavors that cater to specific markets and user requirements.
Now, let's examine the differences between LTE and 4G specifically in terms of the technical specifications:
4G Networks: a. Network Modes: Currently, there are three major cellular service providers offering 4G services in China: China Mobile, China Unicom, and T-Mobile USA. b. Mobile Network Operations System (MNO): The preferred network operating system (NOS) in 4G networks varies among the three operators. For China Mobile, the NOS is Meego, while China Unicom uses UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) and T-Mobile USA uses FRA-TD (Frequency Resilient Trunking) architecture. c. Mobile Radio Access Network (MRAN): The MRAN layer in 4G networks typically consists of Base Station Units (BSUs) and Node B units, which perform communication functions such as transmitting and receiving voice, data, and multimedia signals. d. Shared Use of 3G Phases: Both 3G and 4G networks utilize the same 3G bands (e.g., 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2600 MHz) for downlink transmission. However, the 3G frequencies were allocated for spectrum sharing during the first phase of 3G deployments, while 4G adopts the shared use approach for spectrum allocation after phase 3. This distinction enables both 3G and 4G to benefit from the same infrastructure without sharing resources.
In summary, LTE 4G offers improved performance compared to previous generations, characterized by faster speeds and advanced features such as support for LTE FDD (frequency division duplex) and mobile Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot). Additionally, it inherits the similarities between 3G and 4G networks, including the deployment of the 3G band and shared use of 3G phases for spectrum efficiency. Overall, LTE 4G represents the latest iteration of mobile telecommunications technology, aimed at providing users with robust, fast, and reliable connectivity in the future.