LTE and the Evolution to 4G Wireless: Design and Measurement Challenges, 2nd Edition

Chapter 8

Looking Towards 4G: LTE-Advanced

8.1 Summary of Release 8

The baseline LTE radio access network (RAN) and evolved packet core (EPC) network were defined in 3GPP Release 8, which was functionally frozen in December 2008. This provided the world with a comprehensive and highly capable new cellular communications standard that, according to a November 2012 Global Suppliers Association report, has been successfully launched in 113 commercial networks in 51 countries. The main attributes that differentiate this new standard from previous standards are the following:

• Single-channel peak data rates of up to 300 Mbps in the downlink and 75 Mbps in the uplink
• Improved spectral efficiency over legacy systems, particularly for the uplink
• Full integration of FDD and TDD access modes
• Packet-based EPC network to eliminate cost and complexity associated with legacy circuit-switched networks.

Some of the key technologies introduced in Release 8 that enable the new capabilities include:

• Adoption of OFDMA and SC-FDMA for the downlink and uplink air interfaces to enable narrowband scheduling and efficient support of spatial multiplexing
• Support for six channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz to enable high data rates and also efficient spectrum re-farming for narrowband legacy systems
• Baseline support for spatial multiplexing (MIMO) of up to four layers on the downlink
• Faster physical layer control mechanisms leading to lower latency.

Despite the substantial capabilities of LTE in ...