LTE Advanced vs. LTE Advanced Pro: Key Differences Explained
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This article breaks down the differences between LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro, two key advancements in mobile broadband technology.
LTE: The Foundation
- Introduced in 2012, LTE was designed to deliver high-speed mobile broadband.
- The main goal was to provide data rates ten times faster than 3G.
- LTE offers speeds up to 100 Mbps.
- It was initially specified in 3GPP Release 8.
- LTE supports carrier bandwidths of up to 20 MHz.
LTE Advanced: Taking it Further
- LTE Advanced is an enhanced version of LTE, significantly boosting data rates.
- It supports carrier aggregation and advanced MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) techniques.
- LTE Advanced delivers downlink data rates of up to 1 Gbps (from the eNB, or base station, to the user equipment, or UE) and uplink speeds of up to 500 Mbps (from the UE to the eNB).
LTE Advanced Pro: The Next Generation
- LTE Advanced Pro is an even more advanced version, pushing data rates beyond 3 Gbps.
- It aims for increased bandwidth, improved efficiency, and reduced latency.
- It uses both licensed (400 MHz to 3.8 GHz) and unlicensed (5 GHz) spectrum, supporting up to 32 carriers, each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz.
- LTE Advanced Pro maintains backward compatibility with existing LTE and LTE Advanced devices.
- It optimizes spectrum usage by increasing the number of antenna paths and employing multi-beam approaches. This can serve a single radio cell with 16 to 64 antenna paths.
- It boosts network capacity by approximately 200% without requiring additional spectrum or base stations.
- It aims to increase battery life by roughly ten times compared to LTE.
Applications of LTE Advanced Pro
LTE Advanced Pro is suitable for a range of applications, including:
- Mission-critical public safety communications.
- Cost-effective connectivity for IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
- Close integration with 5G technology, paving the way for a more programmable and connected world.
LTE Advanced vs. LTE Advanced Pro: A Comparison Table
Specifications | LTE Advanced | LTE Advanced Pro |
---|---|---|
3GPP Standard Release | 3GPP Release 10, 11, 12 | 3GPP Release 13 and beyond |
Total Carrier Bandwidth | 100 MHz, 5 carriers of 20MHz each | 640 MHz, aggregates up to 32 carriers of 20MHz each |
Data Rate | 1Gbps | More than 3 Gbps |
Latency | 10 ms | Less than 2ms |