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Understanding Data Rate in Wireless Communication

data rate wireless communication data transfer wireless technology network performance

Data rate, in essence, is the speed at which data travels from one point to another through a medium, whether it’s a wired connection or a wireless signal. It’s a fundamental concept in understanding the performance of any communication system.

To determine the data rate, you need to consider the amount of data transferred and the time it takes to complete that transfer. The formula is straightforward:

Data Rate=Number of bytes transferredTotal time taken (seconds)Data\ Rate = \frac{Number\ of\ bytes\ transferred}{Total\ time\ taken\ (seconds)}

Data rate is typically expressed in Mbps (Megabits per second).

The following table provides a summary of downlink and uplink data rates for various wireless technologies, including GSM, GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE, WCDMA, HSPA, CDMA, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA, and LTE.

Typical Data Rates of Wireless Technologies

Wireless TechnologyDownlink Data Rate (Mbps)Uplink Data Rate (Mbps)
GSM0.00960.0096
GPRS (4R1T)0.08 (4 time slots)0.02 (1 time slot)
HSCSD (3R1T)0.0432 (3 time slots)0.0144 (1 time slot)
EDGE (4R1T)0.2368 (4 time slots)0.0592 (1 time slot)
EDGE Evolution (8R6T)1.89 (8 time slots)1.42 (6 time slots)
WCDMA R990.3840.384
HSPA14.45.76
HSPA+ Dual cell HSDPA (10MHz, 64QAM, 2x2MIMO)84.423
CDMA (as per IS-95-B)0.11520.0096
CDMA 2000 (EVDO Rev B)4.9N4.9N1.8N1.8N
TD-SCDMA (single carrier HSPA+ with 64QAM)8.45
LTE (20MHz, 64QAM, 4x4 MIMO)345.686.4

Note: For CDMA 2000 (EVDO Rev B), ‘N’ represents the number of subcarriers used per 1.25MHz bandwidth.