What is LTE (Long Term Evolution)? - Explained

1. What is LTE or Long Term Evolution?

LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. LTE is succeeded from the 3G or 3rd Generation Cellular networks and introduced by 3GPP. In many cases, LTE or Long Term Evolution is considered as the 3.9G or Generation 3.9 cellular networks.

LTE or Long Term Evolution cellular network-related release made by 3GPP in the release version 8 and added some minor enhancements in the release version 9.

2. Technology

LTE or the Long Term Evolution uses different bands and frequencies to transmit signals to air and the base stations and the handsets need to be upgraded to a new set of hardware components to operate.

LTE also uses two technologies to deliver the services. They are LTE-TDD also known as Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex and LTE-FDD also known as Long Term Evolution Frequency-Division Duplex.

3. LTE Frequencies and Bands

Band	Duplex Mode	Frequency	Common Term	Uplink MHz	Downlink MHz	Duplex Spacing MHz	Channel Bandwidths MHz
1	FDD	2100 MHz	IMT	1920 - 1980	2110 - 2170	190	5, 10, 15, 20
2	FDD	1900 MHz	PCS (Blocks A-F)	1850 - 1910	1930 - 1990	80	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
3	FDD	1800 MHz	DCS	1710 - 1785	1805 - 1880	95	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
4	FDD	1700 MHz	AWS-1 (Blocks A-F)	1710 - 1755	2110 - 2155	400	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
5	FDD	850 MHz	CLR	824 - 849	869 - 894	45	1.4, 3, 5, 10
7	FDD	2600 MHz	IMT-E	2500 - 2570	2620 - 2690	120	5, 10, 15, 20
8	FDD	900 MHz	Extended GSM	880 - 915	925 - 960	45	1.4, 3, 5, 10
10	FDD	1700 MHz	Extended AWS-1 (Blocks A-I)	1710 - 1770	2110 - 2170	400	5, 10, 15, 20
11	FDD	1500 MHz	Lower PDC	1427.9 - 1447.9	1475.9 - 1495.9	48	5, 10
12	FDD	700 MHz	Lower SMH (Blocks A-C)	699 - 716	729 - 746	30	1.4, 3, 5, 10
13	FDD	700 MHz	Upper SMH (Block C)	777 - 787	746 - 756	-31	5,10
14	FDD	700 MHz	Upper SMH (Block D)	788 - 798	758 - 768	-30	5, 10
17	FDD	700 MHz	Lower SMH (Blocks B-C)	704 - 716	734 - 746	30	5, 10
18	FDD	850 MHz	Lower 800 (Japan)	815 - 830	860 - 875	45	5, 10, 15
19	FDD	850 MHz	Upper 800 (Japan)	830 - 845	875 - 890	45	5, 10, 15
20	FDD	800 MHz	EU Digital Dividend	832 - 862	791 - 821	-41	5, 10, 15, 20
21	FDD	1500 MHz	Upper PDC	1447.9 - 1462.9	1495.9 - 1510.9	48	5, 10, 15
22	FDD	3500 MHz	N/A	3410 - 3490	3510 - 3590	100	5, 10, 15, 20
24	FDD	1600 MHz	Upper L-Band (US)	1626.5 - 1660.5	1525 - 1559	-101.5	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
25	FDD	1900 MHz	Extended PCS (Blocks A-G)	1850 - 1915	1930-1995	80	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
26	FDD	850 MHz	Extended CLR	814 - 849	859 - 894	45	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15
27	FDD	800 MHz	SMR	807 - 824	852 - 869	45	1.4, 3, 5, 10
28	FDD	700 MHz	APT	703 - 748	758 - 803	55	3, 5, 10, 15, 20
29	SDL	700 MHz	Lower SMH (Blocks D-E)	N/A	717 - 728	N/A	3, 5, 10
30	FDD	2300 MHz	WCS (Blocks A-B)	2305 - 2315	2350 - 2360	45	5, 10
31	FDD	450 MHz	NMT	452.5 - 457.5	462.5 - 467.5	10	1.4, 3, 5
32	SDL	1500 MHz	L-Band (EU)	N/A	1452 - 1496	N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
33	TDD	2100 MHz	IMT	1900-1920		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
34	TDD	2100 MHz	IMT	2010 - 2025		N/A	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
35	TDD	1900 MHz	PCS (UL)	1850 - 1910		N/A	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
36	TDD	1900 MHz	PCS (DL)	1930 - 1990		N/A	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
37	TDD	1900 MHz	PCS (Duplex Spacing)	1910 - 1930		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
38	TDD	2600 MHz	IMT-E (Duplex Spacing)	2570 - 2620		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
39	TDD	1900 MHz	DCS-IMT Gap	1880-1920		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
40	TDD	2300 MHz	N/A	2300 - 2400		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
41	TDD	2500 MHz	BRS / EBS	2496 - 2690		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
42	TDD	3500 MHz	CBRS (EU, Japan)	3400 - 3600		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
43	TDD	3700 MHz	N/A	3600 - 3800		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
44	TDD	700 MHz	APT	703 - 803		N/A	3, 5, 10, 15, 20
45	TDD	1500 MHz	L-Band (China)	1447 - 1467		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
46	TDD	5200 MHz	U-NII	5150 - 5925		N/A	10, 20
47	TDD	5900 MHz	U-NII-4	5855 - 5925		N/A	10, 20
48	TDD	3600 MHz	CBRS (US)	3550 - 3700		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
49	TDD	3600 MHz	N/A	3550 - 3700		N/A	10, 20
50	TDD	1500 MHz	L-Band (EU)	1432 - 1517		N/A	3, 5, 10, 15, 20
51	TDD	1500 MHz	Extended L-Band (EU)	1427 - 1432		N/A	3, 5
52	TDD	3300 MHz	N/A	3300 - 3400		N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
65	FDD	2100 MHz	Extended IMT	1920 - 2010	2110 - 2200	190	5, 10, 15, 20
66	FDD	1700 MHz	Extended AWS (Blocks A-J) (AWS-1+AWS-3)	1710 - 1780	2110 - 2200	400	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
67	SDL	700 MHz	EU 700	N/A	738 - 758	N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
68	FDD	700 MHz	ME 700	698 - 728	753 - 783	55	5, 10, 15
69	SDL	2600 MHz	IMT-E (Duplex Spacing)	N/A	2570 - 2620	N/A	5
70	FDD	2000 MHz	AWS-4	1695 - 1710	1995 - 2020	295 - 300	5, 10, 15
71	FDD	600 MHz	US Digital Dividend	663 - 698	617 - 652	-46	5, 10, 15, 20
72	FDD	450 MHz	PMR / PAMR (EU)	451 - 456	461 - 466	10	1.4, 3, 5
73	FDD	450 MHz	PMR / PAMR (APT)	450 - 455	460 - 465	10	1.4, 3, 5
74	FDD	1500 MHz	Lower L-Band (US)	1427 - 1470	1475 - 1518	48	1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20
75	SDL	1500 MHz	L-Band (EU)	N/A	1432 - 1517	N/A	5, 10, 15, 20
76	SDL	1500 MHz	Extended L-Band (EU)	N/A	1427 - 1432	N/A	5
85	FDD	700 MHz	Extended Lower SMH (Blocks A-C)	698 - 716	728 - 746	30	5, 10