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Are you curious about the LTE symbol on your smartphone? This is one of the many wireless standards that allow you to communicate on the go. But what does LTE mean and how does it differ from 5G?
4G standard
LTE or Long Term Evolution is a 4G wireless broadband standard used by mobile operators to offer data and voice services to your phone. It provides faster internet speeds and lower latency than 3G. As a result, you can stream videos, play games, and perform high-speed data transfers right in the palm of your hand.
LTE is mainly used on smartphones and mobile hotspots. But you will also find the technology of some smart watches, tablets, laptops and other devices.
Although LTE is often marketed as 4G LTE, it technically does not meet the criteria for 4G wireless service set by the ITU Radiocommunication Division (ITU-R). ITU-R is a unit of the International Telecommunication Union and is responsible for developing communication standards such as 4G. According to ITU-R, a true 4G network provides peak data rates of at least 100 Mbps on the go and at least 1 Gbps when stationary.
However, when mobile operators could not reach these speeds, the ITU-R relaxed the requirements so that LTE could be marketed as 4G technology. The ITU-R said that any wireless technology that provides a “significant level of performance and capability improvement” over the original 3G network could also be considered 4G.
What are LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro?
LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro are improved versions of the LTE standard and are able to provide even faster Internet speeds. Theoretically, LTE Advanced can provide a peak download speed of 1Gbps, and Advanced Pro can reach 3Gbps. As a result, both LTE Advanced and Advanced Pro meet the technical requirements for true 4G.
Fortunately, both LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro are backward compatible, and regular LTE devices can work with these networks. But, unfortunately, you will not get the improved benefits.
Many LTE networks around the world have already been upgraded to LTE Advanced. And it is represented by LTE +, 4G + or LTE-A symbols on your phone, instead of the usual LTE or 4G.
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How does LTE work?
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Cellular standards have traditionally used chain and packet switching networks to provide voice and data services to their users. While the circuit-switched network establishes a special connection with the other party and maintains the connection until the end of the call, the packet-switched network, on the other hand, uses data packets to transmit information from one device to another over a digital network. These data packets are free to take the path of least resistance to reach their destination and do not need a special line.
Unlike 2G and 3G technologies, LTE uses a fully packet-switched network. As a result, there is no switching of voice call circuits. Instead, VoLTE or voice LTE is used to handle voice calls. However, LTE supports the Circuit Switching (CSFB) option to allow voice calls over existing 3G and 2G networks when the phone does not support VoLTE or LTE is not available. In fact, during early LTE deployments, operators often used CSFBs. But VoLTE is already quite common.
LTE effectively uses the existing network bandwidth to provide faster Internet speeds and low latency. This is possible thanks to technologies such as MIMO or Multiple Input Multiple Output, Carrier Aggregation, Multi-Carrier Modulation and others.
LTE vs. 5G
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Although LTE is still the dominant standard for cellular technology worldwide, 5G or fifth-generation wireless broadband technology is rapidly gaining popularity. A number of wireless operators around the world, including North America, are introducing their 5G networks, which promise faster Internet speed, reliability and bandwidth.
So with a 5G network, you can expect to upload or download data at a much higher speed than LTE. It will also allow you to enjoy data and bandwidth-intensive applications and services such as cloud games, high-definition streaming and more.
Fifth generation networks are theoretically capable of delivering download speeds of up to 10Gbps. However, these highest data speeds are only possible with high-frequency mmWave 5G tapes. 5G can also use bands below 6GHz, but the internet speeds in these bands will not be as high as mmWave 5G, but still more than LTE speeds.
And because 5G networks are still in their growth phase, it will take time for them to mature as LTE matures over the years. Also, because 5G is a new technology and not as backward compatible as any other generation of networks, you will need a 5G compatible device to test it. For example, your LTE phone will not be able to connect to a 5G network.
Overall, while 5G offers several advantages over LTE, it is not yet fully ready to replace LTE. So, at least for the next few years, we will see 5G and LTE coexist and complement each other.
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