Long Term Evolution (LTE)

Developed by 3rd Generation Partnership

Project (3GPP), LTE, Long Term Evolution is the
successor to 3G UMTS and HSPA providing
much higher data download speeds(upto 10
times faster than 3G) and setting the
foundations for 4G LTE Advanced.
 LTE Overview
• The UMTS cellular technology upgrade has
been dubbed LTE - Long Term Evolution.
• The idea is that 3G LTE will enable much
higher speeds to be achieved along with
much lower packet latency (the amount of time
it takes for a data packet to go from one place to
another), and
• That 3GPP LTE will enable cellular
communications services to move forward to
meet the needs for cellular technology to
2017 and well beyond.
 3G LTE evolution
• Although there are major step changes between LTE
and its 3G predecessors, it is nevertheless looked upon
as an evolution of the UMTS / 3GPP 3G standards.
• Although it uses a different form of radio interface,
using OFDMA / SC-FDMA instead of CDMA, there are
many similarities with the earlier forms of 3G
architecture and there is scope for much re-use.
• In determining what is LTE and how does it differ from
other cellular systems, a quick look at the specifications
for the system can provide many answers. LTE can be
seen for provide a further evolution of functionality,
increased speeds and general improved performance.
 WCDMA HSPA HSPA+ LTE
(UMTS) HSDPA / HSUPA

Max downlink speed 384 k 14 M 28 M 100M

bps

Max uplink speed 128 k 5.7 M 11 M 50 M

bps

Latency 150 ms 100 ms 50ms (max) ~10 ms

round trip time
approx

3GPP releases Rel 99/4 Rel 5 / 6 Rel 7 Rel 8

Approx years of initial roll out 2003 / 4 2005 / 6 HSDPA 2008 / 9 2009 / 10
2007 / 8 HSUPA

Access methodology CDMA CDMA CDMA OFDMA / SC-FDMA

• In addition to this, LTE is an all IP based network, supporting both IPv4

and IPv6.
• Originally there was also no basic provision for voice, although Voice
over LTE, VoLTE was added.
 LTE basics:- specification overview
• It is worth summarizing the key parameters of
the 3G LTE specification.
• In view of the fact that there are a number of
differences between the operation of the
uplink and downlink, these naturally differ in
the performance they can offer.
 LTE BASIC SPECIFICATIONS

PARAMETER DETAILS

Peak downlink speed 100 (SISO), 172 (2x2 MIMO), 326 (4x4 MIMO)
64QAM
(Mbps)

Peak uplink speeds 50 (QPSK), 57 (16QAM), 86 (64QAM)

(Mbps)

Data type All packet switched data (voice and data). No circuit switched.

Channel bandwidths 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20

(MHz)

Duplex schemes FDD and TDD

Mobility 0 - 15 km/h (optimised),

15 - 120 km/h (high performance)

Latency Idle to active less than 100ms

Small packets ~10 ms

Spectral efficiency Downlink: 3 - 4 times Rel 6 HSDPA

Uplink: 2 -3 x Rel 6 HSUPA

Access schemes OFDMA (Downlink)

SC-FDMA (Uplink)

Modulation types supported QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM (Uplink and downlink)

 LTE SPECIFICATION
• These highlight specifications give an overall
view of the performance that LTE will offer.
• It meets the requirements of industry for high
data download speeds as well as reduced
latency - a factor important for many
applications from VoIP to gaming and
interactive use of data.
• It also provides significant improvements in
the use of the available spectrum.
 Main LTE technologies
• LTE has introduced a number of new technologies when compared
to the previous cellular systems.
• They enable LTE to be able to operate more efficiently with respect
to the use of spectrum, and also to provide the much higher data
rates that are being required.
• OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex): OFDM
technology has been incorporated into LTE because it enables high
data bandwidths to be transmitted efficiently while still providing a
high degree of resilience to reflections and interference.
• The access schemes differ between the uplink and downlink:
OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access is used in
the downlink; while SC-FDMA(Single Carrier - Frequency Division
Multiple Access) is used in the uplink.
• SC-FDMA is used in view of the fact that its peak to average power
ratio is small and the more constant power enables high RF power
amplifier efficiency in the mobile handsets - an important factor for
battery power equipment.
• MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output): One of the main
problems that previous telecommunications systems has
encountered is that of multiple signals arising from the
many reflections that are encountered.
• By using MIMO, these additional signal paths can be used
to advantage and are able to be used to increase the
throughput.
• When using MIMO, it is necessary to use multiple antennas
to enable the different paths to be distinguished.
• Accordingly schemes using 2 x 2, 4 x 2, or 4 x 4 antenna
matrices can be used.
• While it is relatively easy to add further antennas to a base
station, the same is not true of mobile handsets, where the
dimensions of the user equipment limit the number of
antennas which should be placed at least a half wavelength
apart.
• SAE (System Architecture Evolution): With the
very high data rate and low latency requirements
for 3G LTE, it is necessary to evolve the system
architecture to enable the improved performance
to be achieved.
• One change is that a number of the functions
previously handled by the core network have
been transferred out to the periphery.
• Essentially this provides a much "flatter" form of
network architecture. In this way latency times
can be reduced and data can be routed more
directly to its destination.
 LTE OFDM, OFDMA SC-FDMA & Modulation
• LTE, Long term Evolution uses the modulation format, OFDM -
orthogonal frequency division multiplex, adapted to provide a
multiple access scheme using OFDMA and SC-FDMA
• One of the key elements of LTE is the use of OFDM, Orthogonal
Frequency Division Multiplex, as the signal bearer and the
associated access schemes, OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplex) and SC-FDMA (Single Frequency Division Multiple
Access).
• OFDM is used in a number of other of systems from WLAN, WiMAX
to broadcast technologies including DVB and DAB. OFDM has many
advantages including its robustness to multipath fading and
interference.
• In addition to this, even though, it may appear to be a particularly
complicated form of modulation, it lends itself to digital signal
processing techniques.
• In view of its advantages, the use of ODFM and the associated
access technologies, OFDMA and SC-FDMA are natural choices for
the new LTE cellular standard.
 LTE modulation & OFDM basics
• The use of OFDM is a natural choice for LTE. While the basic
concepts of OFDM are used, it has naturally been tailored to meet
the exact requirements for LTE. However its use of multiple carrier
each carrying a low data rate remains the same.
• The actual implementation of the technology will be different
between the downlink (i.e. from base station to mobile) and the
uplink (i.e. mobile to the base station) as a result of the different
requirements between the two directions and the equipment at
either end.
• However OFDM was chosen as the signal bearer format because it
is very resilient to interference.
• Also in recent years a considerable level of experience has been
gained in its use from the various forms of broadcasting that use it
along with Wi-Fi and WiMAX.
• OFDM is also a modulation format that is very suitable for carrying
high data rates - one of the key requirements for LTE.
• In addition to this, OFDM can be used in both FDD and TDD
formats. This becomes an additional advantage.
 OFDMA

• OFDMA is the access technique used in Long-

Term Evolution (LTE) cellular systems to
accommodate multiple users in a given
bandwidth. Orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM) is a modulation method
that divides a channel into multiple narrow
orthogonal bands that are spaced so they
don’t interfere with one another. Each band is
divided into hundreds or even thousands of
15-kHz wide subcarriers.
 OFDMA
• The data to be transmitted is divided into
many lower-speed bit streams and modulated
onto the subcarriers.
• Time slots within each subchannel data
stream are used to package the data to be
transmitted (Fig. 5).
• This technique is very spectrally efficient, so it
provides very high data rates. It also is less
affected by multipath propagation effects.
OFDMA
 SDMA
• SDMA uses physical separation methods that
permit the sharing of wireless channels. For
instance, a single channel may be used
simultaneously if the users are spaced far
enough from one another to avoid
interference.
• Known as frequency reuse, the method is
widely used in cellular radio systems. Cell sites
are spaced from one another to minimize
interference.
 SDMA
• In addition to spacing, directional antennas
are used to avoid interference. Most cell sites
use three antennas to create 120° sectors that
allow frequency sharing (Fig. 6a).
• New technologies like smart antennas or
adaptive arrays use dynamic beamforming to
shrink signals into narrow beams that can be
focused on specific users, excluding all
others (Fig. 6b).