Are you ready for LTE?

Freescale Semiconductor

Do you remember the first time you got your hands on one of the next-generation smartphones that combines email, wireless web browsing and traditional phone functionality? For many, this was an impressive experience. Now consider the prospect of using such a device with Internet connectivity speeds as fast as today’s broadband-enabled desktop.

The appeal of this kind of performance in the context of today’s mobile devices is compelling. But that’s only part of the story. The fact is, next-generation mobile broadband technology is on the horizon and approaching fast. As a result, consumers can look forward to more than just faster internet connectivity on their existing mobile devices – they can expect performance levels that enable creation of entirely new classes of mobile products and services that dramatically boost productivity, improve public safety and enhance enjoyment of digital entertainment.

Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is one of the leading wireless standard candidates expected to deliver this kind of game-changing performance. But the technology presents more than just attractive user experiences – it also represents a huge business opportunity for the service providers, equipment manufacturers and semiconductor suppliers who bring LTE to life. Leading mobile carriers and service providers worldwide are currently working to complete the buildout of networks capable of supporting LTE. Carriers in Asia are expected to begin offering commercial LTE service as soon as late 2009, and firms serving North America and Europe are not far behind.

Although different configurations of LTE are planned for deployment in specific global regions, all LTE variants are expected to ultimately deliver speeds of up to 326Mb/s downlink and 86Mb/s uplink, and support channel bandwidths from 1.25 MHz to 20 MHz. LTE is expected to deliver this kind of performance in large part because it is designed to provide as much as four times the spectral efficiency of networks based on previous wireless generations. This allows LTE networks to deliver more bits of data into the same amount of spectrum as older standards, resulting in faster data speeds and increased capacity. And LTE provides this higher bandwidth while reusing existing spectrum that is being used by current-generation networks.

LTE is based on a simplified, all-IP network architecture that boosts the volume of data that can travel across a network and enhances network efficiency. This increased efficiency is especially appealing to network operators, who expect LTE to lower operating and capital expenditure costs, since the simplified architecture requires fewer (but more integrated) infrastructure equipment installations.

Greater flexibility is another benefit of LTE. With LTE, network operators can operate within a broader range of frequency bands, as well as deliver connectivity across smaller amounts of spectrum in cases where a particular usage model might require lower bandwidth.

The potential of LTE is significant for consumers, as well as for the telecommunications industry and its entire supply chain. In the years ahead, LTE promises tremendous opportunities for the people and organizations best able to harness the promise of this compelling technology.