Today’s 3G/UMTS networks were only launched in 2003, but work is well under way on replacement technology dubbed Long Term Evolution (LTE).
This so-called 4G standard is the hottest ticket in town, promising download speeds in excess of 100Mbps and uploads over and above 50Mbps. A Nokia field trial of LTE technology set a cellular data record of 173Mbps in 2008. Compare this to the 14.4Mbps speeds currently offered by 3G networks patched with the HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) upgrade.
The word you’re looking for is: “whoosh!”
LTE: fourth generation mobile technology
“LTE will not only make existing applications faster,” says Motorola, “but [it] will enable a wealth of new applications previously available only on a wired internet connection.” For example, LTE will be fast enough to download TV shows and HD movies, automatically back up any digital photos you take to a home PC, even support 3D multiplayer games.
But the killer app here should be video, both watching it and uploading it. We can already imagine an LTE mobile with a SlingPlayer connection or streaming BBC iPlayer content on the train. It might also give mobile TV a kick up the backside.
If the numbers hold up, LTE could deliver 5-6 times the performance of 3G with HSPA. This speed boost comes courtesy of OFDM (Orthoganal Frequency Division Multiplexing), the same transmission technology used by WiMAX, DVB-T and DVB-H.
OFDM reduces latency, minimises interference and can cram more data into the same slice of bandwidth. So it’s ideal for transmitting video. The LTE standard also employs the same TCP/IP protocols that underpin modern networking and Internet connectivity. Once services begin to be deployed, voice traffic will be shifted from GSM to Voice over IP (VoIP), enabling calls to be integrated with multimedia and web services.
How does LTE impact today’s 3G services?
Further speed increases are possible with the addition of MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology. The idea of having multiple antennas on transmitters and receivers is already used to great effect in 802.11n Wi-Fi gear. Nokia’s 173Mbps trial used MIMO in a 2×2 configuration (i.e. two antennas on both the transmitter and receiver). A 4×4 MIMO set up could potentially deliver wireless broadband speeds of 326.4 Mbps.
Of course, LTE has its share of sceptics. Do telcos continue to push 3G technologies to the limit? Or do they abandon them halfway to fling more money at LTE? There’s an argument that we’ve yet to see the full potential of 3G and the average consumer still hasn’t taken advantage of it.
The HSPA+ upgrade (aka Evolved HSPA) reportedly closes the performance gap between 3G and LTE. Vodafone has recently tested the technology in Spain, pushing 3G data download speeds to 16Mbps. It plans a 21Mbps trial in the next few months, with 42Mbps download speeds the ultimate target.
But even though HSPA+ can be pushed to 42Mbps, the technology is still around 3.5 times slower than LTE. So the smart money is on LTE being deployed alongside existing 3G services, delivering high-speeds to those willing to pay a premium for them, while continuing to grow the 3G base.
But don’t hold your breath. Initial deployments of LTE are expected by 2010, with commercially available services up and running by 2011 or 2012. Give or take a year, due to the current financial crisis…
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