Gigabit LTE is the next version of LTE (i.e. Long Term Evolution) mobile technology that can provide high download speeds of a gigabit or above. It’s a significant cornerstone for 5G and is one of the most discussed terms on the 5G space today. Multiple Gigabit LTE compatible devices are available worldwide now and leading carriers are adopting Gigabit LTE technologies for their networks.
What, exactly, Gigabit LTE is?
Gigabit LTE adds a new dimension to existing LTE technologies such as LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro with drastically improved Internet speeds. It enables maximum download speeds of 1 gigabit per second (1,000Mbps) or more.
Gigabit download is basically the maximum theoretical speed and we are unlikely to achieve it in reality. Moreover, upload speeds do not feature in the gigabit range. However, both download, as well as upload speeds, will surely be a massive improvement as compared to exiting speeds.
How does Gigabit LTE work?
There are 3 principal component technologies driving Gigabit LTE: i.e. 4×4 MIMO, Carrier Aggregation (CA), and 256-QAM. Gigabit speeds can be achieved with 4×4 MIMO as well as 256-QAM through 60MHz of licensed spectrum; however, CA can considerably cut down the amount of licensed spectrum required to 20MHz.
- Carrier Aggregation is all about identifying different radio frequency bands and selecting the fastest one.
- 4×4 MIMO: There are more antennas needed for Gigabit LTE as compared to former LTE iterations; however, those additional antennas won’t be necessary at the Massive MIMO stage prevailing in 5G.
The majority of LTE devices can receive data on two antennas simultaneously with 2×2 MIMO technology. As such, Gigabit LTE deploys 4×4 MIMO, meaning there are four antennas on the mobile device to four on the LTE base station for transmitting the signal. More antennas are deployed on the base station for improving network efficiency while more antennas on the device help lock on to the fastest, strongest signal.
- 256-QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation is basically a digital signal processing technology used for amplifying the data stream throughput by enabling every signal to transmit more data. In LTE 64-QAM every signal transmits 6 bits as compared to 8 bits in Gigabit LTE 256-QAM.
The combination of 256-QAM and 4×4 MIMO help deliver faster speeds and less congestion. For instance, four antennas in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X16 LTE modem are deployed to help it to carry 10 streams of data at once, while improved signal processing enhances the output of the 10 streams to about 100Mbps each for eventually getting to 1Gbps speeds.
Qualcomm explains the Gigabit LTE technology with the help of an analogy of trucks running on a highway. Carrier aggregation is deployed to make the roads wider. 4×4 MIMO enables having more lanes on the top. 256-QAM is used to speed up traffic by placing heavier loads onto larger trucks, which results in lesser number of vehicles on the highway and, therefore, less congestion.
In addition, Gigabit LTE can capitalize on unused spectrum with LTE-U (LTE in unlicensed spectrum) and Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) to improve the capacity of network in areas with more traffic. While some traffic can be directed through alternative routes to reduce the traffic on the highway, further reducing congestion.
What will it do?
The apparent advantage of Gigabit LTE is improved download speeds that will help us stream VR experiences, watch 4K video without buffering or simply download content in a jiffy. It can also support fixed wireless access (FWA) and personal hotspot services.
Gigabit LTE will surely bring drastic improvements to the user experience; however there’s much more to Gigabit LTE than merely improving user experience. There are several other benefits, for both phone users as well as network operators. Since downloads will be completed faster, the network will be less congested, therefore there will be enough free space for other users and speeds will be improved for all and not just Gigabit LTE users.
The most exciting aspect of Gigabit LTE is that capable phones can be used on existing networks. More Gigabit LTE mobile users on a network corresponds to lesser network resources required for each user, which further corresponds to an improved network for all. Therefore, Gigabit LTE devices will make 4G networks more efficient.
In 2017, T-Mobile carried out live demos over its network in the US that validated better network performance as well as faster speeds. The smartphone having a gigabit modem downloaded a file 2.4 times faster than the phone having a Cat-12 modem.
What Gigabit LTE devices are available?
In terms of devices, Gigabit LTE implies LTE Category 16 (Cat-16) that was introduced in Release 12 of 3GPP (largely completed in 2015). At present, Cat-18 is a frontline term featuring a theoretical peak download speed of 1.2Gbps. In general, they are paired with Cat-13 that provides a theoretical peak upload speed of 150Mbps.
In February 2016, Qualcomm rolled out the world’s first Gigabit LTE modem dubbed Snapdragon X16, which supports download speeds of up to 1Gbps with three-carrier aggregation, 4×4 MIMO, and 256-QAM. The modem was introduced in NETGEAR Nighthawk M1 mobile router, which was slated to be the first commercially available Gigabit LTE device.
In February 2017, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon X20, as the world’s first Cat-18 modem, which supported up to 5x CA and was 20% faster as compared to the first generation. The modem can provide a peak download speed of up to 1.2Gbps and help telecom operators to provide Gigabit LTE with only 10MHz of licensed spectrum.
Qualcomm dominates the global gigabit chips market; however, it is now getting formidable competition from other chip makers, including Samsung and Intel.
In April 2016, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S8, the world’s first Gigabit LTE capable smartphone, and it sold like hot cakes.
Sony, HTC, LG, and Motorola have all launched Gigabit LTE-capable smartphones now.
Apple deploys Qualcomm’s standalone modems rather than the Snapdragon; however, it disappointed many in autumn 2017 when its iPhones 8 and X were rolled out with no gigabit modems. The company, however, fixed the issue a year later with the launch of iPhone XS and XS Max. In the US, the latest iPhones showed an average download speed of 64.79Mbps than 27.86Mbps with the iPhone X.