Why is lte important

This makes the LTE network much faster, enabling the transmission of video and even streaming. UMTS was unable to deliver on its lofty promises, however. In , Deutsche Telekom launched the iPhone on the German market in an exclusive deal, marking the start of a one-of-a-kind success story.

Another advantage of LTE: when building out the network, the mobile base stations that had already been built for GSM and UMTS could be used — making it unnecessary to establish an entirely new infrastructure for the fourth-generation network. LTE is available both in cities and rural areas. The buildout of the fourth generation of mobile communication technology will continue in the coming years.

Network operators have published many maps on the Internet showing their respective LTE coverage. On www. Locations on building roofs or existing towers are used for LTE antennas. An antenna on a roof is usually not more than ten meters in height. It means smoother video and music streaming. In short, 4G LTE gives us the ability to utilize and experience the internet in a quicker, richer way.

By enabling video viewing and data sharing at a pace not realized before, LTE has turned our smartphones into powerful connected devices that we can carry anywhere. Yes, there really were three generations of wireless networking technology before 4G. The first generation of mobile technology, which came to be known as 1G, was introduced in the s. An analog technology, it gave us the ability to make and receive calls on mobile phones. The advent of 2G digital technology in the early s introduced text messaging.

The move to 3G in provided network speeds fast enough for the first smartphones. Finally, 4G, with its incredibly fast data-transfer rates, gave rise to many of the connected devices and services that we rely on and enjoy today.

From there, Verizon worked feverishly to expand the new network to every corner of the United States. And by , LTE reached 97 percent of the U. In , Verizon became the first U. LTE Advanced uses carrier aggregation to speed mobile data over the network more quickly than ever before, providing customers with 50 percent faster peak speeds. Today, more than 98 percent of the U. Since the launch of LTE in , Verizon has consistently invested in network infrastructure and implemented the latest technology to improve coverage and throughput speeds.

However, few are more important than LTE and 4G. Knowing the difference between 4G and LTE and now 5G might give you a better basis of knowledge when you upgrade your phone or cell carrier.

The discussion below outlines the basics. Related reads CDMA vs. GSM What is 5G? Best smartphones. When 3G networks started rolling out commercially, at or around , they replaced the 2G system, a network protocol that only allowed the most basic of what we now call smartphone functionality.

Most 2G networks handled phone calls, basic text messaging, and small amounts of data over a protocol called MMS. With the introduction of 3G connectivity, a number of larger data formats became much more accessible, including standard HTML pages, videos, and music. The speeds were still pretty slow, and mostly required pages and data specially formatted for slower wireless connections.

The ITU-R set standards for 4G connectivity in March , requiring all services described as 4G to adhere to a set of speed and connection standards. For mobile use, including smartphones and tablets, connection speeds need to have a peak of at least megabits per second, and for more stationary uses such as mobile hot spots, at least 1 gigabit per second. When these standards were announced, these speeds were unheard of on the ground, because they were intended as a target for developers, an aspirational point in the future that marked a significant jump over the current technology.

Over time, the systems that power these networks caught up, not just in the sense that new broadcasting methods have found their way into products, but that previously established 3G networks were improved to the point that they can be classified as 4G. In practice, it tops at 15Mbps. Of course, it all depends on where you're located.

It's a faster version of LTE. How fast is LTE-A? In practice, you can expect between 40 to 90Mbps. LTE is designed for lower latency the time it takes for data to travel in the network and increased bandwidth - very interesting for the Internet of Things.

In fact, bandwidth increases can be as high as Mbps on the downlink and up to 50 Mbps on the uplink. It's an improved version of 4G LTE for voice and video calls. There are three broad categories within 4G — which is mainstream to connect industry-grade IoT devices today.

Here are some examples of IoT devices and their typical bandwidth needs. The right 4G LTE module can then be selected according to the need.