What is an LTE network?

It is only in the last few years that the whole of India became truly connected, with the dawn of cheap, reliable, and fast internet. Jio brought with it the 4G revolution, which at the time it was launched, was considered a gamechanger. Alongside 4G though, another buzzword you may have come across frequently, is LTE networks. Ever wondered just what they are? Read on.  

What LTE networks are and how they work

LTE is a wireless communication standard that is used for high-speed data transfer and mobile broadband access. LTE networks are generally deployed by mobile network operators. Users need to have a mobile data plan enabled on their smartphones in order to access an LTE network.  

LTE networks use advanced techniques such as multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) to transmit data over the air. All of this, in simple terms, means only one thing. LTE networks (4G) offer faster data speed and lower latency. These considerable improvements over 3G made LTE networks much more suited for applications such as streaming video, online gaming, and much more.  

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LTE networks operate in different frequency bands, and different devices are compatible with different bands. It is widely used around the globe to provide mobile broadband access in areas with good coverage as an alternative to fixed-line broadband in areas where it is not available. But the next generation of wireless mobile communication technology is already here, i.e, 5G. It is supposed to provide 100 times faster speed than 4G.