LTE / LTE-Advanced Fundamentals

LTE Fundamentals

Long Term Evolution (LTE) will ensure the competitiveness of UMTS for the next ten years and beyond by providing a high-data rate, low-latency and packet-optimized system. Also known as E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access), LTE is part of 3GPP Release 8 specifications. LTE can be operated in either frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD) mode, also referred to as LTE FDD and TD-LTE. The main key technology aspects of LTE are:

  • New, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) based multiple access schemes for both LTE FDD and TD-LTE
  • Scalable bandwidth up to 20 MHz
  • Support for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology
  • New data and control channels
  • New network and protocol architecture (two node, IP based)

LTE (3GPP Release 8) supports theoretical peak data rates of 300Mbps in downlink and 75Mbps in uplink direction. The first commercial network was launched in Sweden in December 2009 whereas meanwhile LTE has become the fastest growing mobile communication technology ever. Commercially available end user devices support max. 100Mbps (DL) / 50Mbps(UL). Please note that achievable data rates in real life networks varies depending on e.g. network load and propagation conditions and is generally significantly lower than the maximum rates achieved in test lab environment.

LTE-Advanced Fundamentals

In order to make LTE a true 4th generation (4G) technology, it was enhance d to meet the IMT-Advanced requirements issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The necessary improvements are specified in 3GPP Release 10 and also known as LTE-Advanced. IMT-conformant systems will be candidates for future spectrum bands that are still to be identified, which is another major reason for aligning LTE-Advanced with the call for IMT-Advanced technologies. This ensures that today’s deployed LTE mobile networks provide an evolutionary path towards many years of commercial operation. LTE-Advanced further increases peak data rates towards 1 Gbit/s in the downlink and 500 Mbit/s in the uplink.

The technology components of LTE-Advanced are:

  • Carrier aggregation
  • MIMO extension (up to DL: 8x8; up to UL: 4x4)
  • Uplink access enhancements (clustered SC-FDMA and simultaneous data and control information (PUSCH and PUCCH) transmission
  • Improving cell edge performance (enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC), relaying)

LTE/LTE-Advanced at Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz is the right partner for making your LTE / LTE-Advanced products happen. Our test solutions were the first on the market and since then evolved to a full product portfolio from a single-source supplier. The modular and highly flexible solutions can easily be extended to cover LTE-Advanced testing needs. From GSM to 4G, from R & D to conformance, from testing chipsets and assembled enduser devices to infrastructure equipment, Rohde & Schwarz is able to satisfy your test requirements.

Technology Overview

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Solutions for LTE/LTE-Advanced

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