Suddenly I had to delve into the technical details, which I would prefer not to know, so as not to fill my head with unnecessary details. However, in this difficult time, the desire to save money makes us take a closer look at various technical specifications and so on.

During the Chinese sale, I ordered myself at a low price beautiful smartphone ZTE Nubia Z9 mini. To the available Beeline Pro, I actually have only two complaints - the quality of the photo and the amount of memory available for installing programs.

After some time, I received a package with Nubia, I was glad for the camera and the fact that all 16 gigabytes of internal memory are available for installation, and not divided into two parts, I began to use it. A day later I noticed that Mobile Internet works clearly worse than on its predecessor. Before ordering, I was already aware of the differences between FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE, that only FDD is suitable for Russia, and I ordered exactly this, and received exactly this - “with worldwide / international support for LTE networks”. Nevertheless, the picture compared to Beeline Pro was sad. The picture shows that Beeline Pro works fine with 4G / LTE, and Nubia generally switched to 3G / HSPA (clickable if anything)

At first I thought about the settings. Chose “preferred network”, etc. - did not help. But I found a few more messages that the Z9 mini receives the LTE signal worse than the other device and realized that it was not in my device and it was not a marriage.

Then I began to deal with LTE and read that the standard is not only of two types with time division (TDD) and frequency division (FDD), but also different frequencies (800, 850, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2600MHz, etc.) and these ranges are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. The specifications indicate something like “Data transmission FDD LTE (Cat4, up to 150 Mbps) 1800/2100/2600 MHz” or “FDD LTE: bands B1, B3, B7”. I compared it with the bands supported by operators in Russia and it turned out that in our country the bands are mainly used B3, B7, B20. Moreover, my Beeline operator uses B7 (2500-2600MHz) and B20 (800MHz). A high frequency allows you to increase the transmission speed, and a lower one provides more coverage with one base station, so, of course, we have more 800MHz towers. But Nubia does not support this range and can only use the 2500-2600MHz band, and the coverage of this frequency in Moscow is small. So for Beeline, this device, alas, is not very suitable. But Tele2 subscribers, in theory, should not experience any problems - Tele2 in Moscow has only 2600MHz (it seems).

The Qualcomm chipset, on which Nubia is built, has the ability to unlock any frequency ranges in the modem with a special engineering program. Which I immediately did. Unfortunately, this did nothing. After digging around on the xda-developers forum, where quite a few frustrated French, Germans and British were found who generally have all LTE in many places only on the 20th band, I found out that unlocking the modem's support for the range will not do - it is necessary that the radio module / antenna also be designed to support the B20 band.

I had to part with my phone. Fortunately, there were a lot of people who wanted to buy it at a sale price - they sold it in 1.5 hours.

Along the way, I found out that many Chinese smartphones(Redmi Note2 FDD for example) with “international LTE support”The 20th 800MHz band is not supported, only the same 1st, 3rd and 7th.

Now I know what to look for in the specifications. :(

Mobile access to the Web is an area that is characterized by the highest dynamics of the introduction of new technological solutions and standards. For example, quite recently 3G Internet was considered one of the most advanced channels. Today, experts say that 4G technology will be the flagship of the mobile industry.

There are quite a few specific implementations of it. But one of the most popular in the world has become the LTE technology, which is also being actively implemented by Russian operators. What are its features?

What is LTE

The LTE standard, also called 4G, is among the most modern and promising technologies capable of providing fast access to the Internet and other services provided by cellular operators. LTE-infrastructure - in any case, this is expected by market experts - is designed to replace communication networks operating within the framework of 3G standards. Main advantages new technology- incomparably more high speed and connection stability.

Subscribers mobile operators can, thanks to the advantages this standard expand their capabilities in terms of collective use of the Internet. The fact is that, for example, when distributing access to the network, carried out on the basis of 3G technology via Wi-Fi, everyone who wanted to connect simply did not have enough channel speed. With LTE, the WiFi infrastructure should be more efficient. For comparison: in most 3G networks, the access speed does not exceed 7-8 Mbps. In turn, the declared rate of some Russian mobile operators when using LTE is 100 Mbps.

Distribution of LTE in Russia

Since the communication standard under consideration is quite new, Russian operators have not yet managed to introduce it in all regions of the country. However, communication networks that use LTE technology are built by vendors mobile services very active. Now, not only subscribers of the capital and largest cities, but also residents of regions of Russia quite remote from megacities can take advantage of this communication standard.

Reviews about LTE

Actually, what do the subscribers themselves say about the experience of using the new technology? First of all, most owners mobile devices, supporting the LTE standard, is impressed by the fact that you do not need to overpay for the possibility of using the Internet within the framework of the standard in question. Unless, perhaps, you will have to purchase a device capable of operating in LTE mode. In general, according to many subscribers, the new technology meets expectations. The speed of Internet access is really higher than when working with 3G and 4G standards.

The stability of the connection also in most cases does not cause complaints from users. While when using traditional channels mobile access to the network quite regularly there is a loss (especially if not computers are used, but smartphones, tablets - that is, purely wireless devices) connections.

At the same time, there are some comments regarding the not too wide coverage area where the LTE standard operates. But this is obviously temporary. Once upon a time, the 3G standard was available only to residents of certain areas. Experts believe that the pace of LTE infrastructure deployment will be sustainable in the near future.

LTE operators

The new technology is already supported by the largest Russian mobile operators - Megafon, Beeline, MTS, Tele2, Yota (which is considered an independent market player). Also, LTE is actively developing Rostelecom. The main advantage of the considered communication standard is representatives Russian market call high compatibility with the existing infrastructure within which 3G networks operate. That is, it is possible to introduce a new technology without resorting to forced disconnections of subscribers from certain services. In addition, Russian LTE frequencies are such that devices that support only the 3G standard can work in them. There is thus a new technology with the previous ones.

Actually, about frequencies. Which of them are most often used by Russian and global providers of mobile services? Why might this be interesting? The fact is that the prospects for mastering the latest communication technology, as well as the speed of its implementation, according to analysts, depend on the resource determined by the operator. frequency spectrum. The specifics of Russian mobile networks is such that the shortage of the necessary frequencies can be felt quite acutely by mobile service providers. But that's not all. The situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that the lower frequency spectrum is very actively used by law enforcement agencies, as well as navigation systems.

Now a significant part of Russian operators operate within a single range. However, market requirements are such that suppliers mobile communications you will need at least one more band to organize the channels. LTE networks require more capacity. In addition, as subscribers connect to operators, using the capabilities of a new communication technology in different modes- in an apartment, in a car, outside the city, in a park - the provider needs to have a resource for quick redistribution of traffic, optimizing it in terms of subscriber activity. If the provider has only one frequency band at its disposal, this is problematic, and as a result, the quality of the corresponding services may decrease.

Frequency spectrum of LTE networks

Now in the world there are more than 200 networks based on the considered communication technology. What frequencies does LTE operate on most often? Experts believe that this is the 1800 MHz band - it is the most frequently used in the world. According to some analysts, they are used by more than 40% of modern commercial operators. However, there are other popular channels. So, in particular, LTE, corresponding to 2.6 GHz, is widespread. No less popular is the one that is characterized by a figure of 800 MHz. True, in the Russian Federation its use is among the promising ones. Later we will find out why.

What are the most frequently used LTE frequencies in Russia now? Actually, the most popular is the already named 2.6 GHz band. In particular, the Moscow MTS operates in it. LTE frequencies in some regions are used in the 2.3 GHz band, there are prospects for the development of channels in 450 and 900 MHz - we will talk about them separately. According to experts, the use of low-frequency resources is especially promising in regions with low population density. The reason is that in this case it is possible to build a small capacity.

Why does frequency matter?

We noted above that there are cases in which it is sometimes more expedient to use the lower LTE frequencies in Russia than the upper ones - this applies to regions in which subscribers are settled over a large area. What other patterns that reflect the specifics of the use of certain ranges can be identified?

Let's note, for example, the fact that the frequency of 1800 MHz, according to experts, is much more economically beneficial for the operator. Approximately 60%. If the operator has the opportunity to work at this frequency, then the speed of building the necessary infrastructure can increase significantly. In addition, in some cases, the construction of networks in the 800-900 MHz range can be even cheaper.

More frequencies - better service

The ideal option is if LTE frequencies in Russia are available to operators at all levels. The work of the communication provider in this case will be, according to experts, the most effective. On the one hand, it will be possible to serve a large area, on the other hand, to provide the required signal density by placing the required number of base stations or auxiliary infrastructure elements, such as, for example, femtocells, in the region. Actually, we have already noted above that the resource in the form of several frequencies directly determines the quality of the provision of the corresponding services by the operator.

The agency allowed

Do Russian telecom operators have the resource in question? Analysts say yes. In the summer of 2014, the State Commission on Radio Frequencies approved the use of very promising frequencies by mobile service providers - 450, 890-915 MHz, and 935-960 MHz. Use this resource Russian operators can throughout the country. Thus, at the disposal of suppliers - in addition to those high frequencies that we indicated above - lower ranges. This will help accelerate the deployment of advanced communications infrastructure in Russia, as well as improve the quality of related services for subscribers.

Among other noteworthy initiatives of the department is the possible permission to conduct a specialized auction between mobile communication providers for the possibility of using additional frequencies - in the range of 2570-2620 MHz. True, as some experts note, the State Commission will probably prefer to study trends in the international 4G technology market first.

Prior to the corresponding initiative of the department, one of the allowed frequency bands - 900 MHz - could be used by operators to provide services using GSM technology, that is, within the second generation standard, 2G. Now, the largest Russian communication providers - MTS, Beeline, Megafon - LTE frequencies can, from a technological point of view, be used in this range.

We also note that before permission was received to use the 900 MHz frequency within the new standard, operators had the opportunity to work with another range (in 2G mode) - 1800 MHz. However, most experts consider him to be high. That is, as noted above, it is not very advisable to use it in regions where the population density is low. In order for the infrastructure within the framework of the new communication standard to actively develop not only in large cities, operators needed low ranges. The high frequencies of LTE in Moscow, which we outlined at the beginning of the article, no longer allowed cellular operators to count on active expansion into neighboring regions.

LTE frequencies: theory and practice

Let's consider what are the real resources of using the mentioned technology by the largest Russian operators today. We will study what LTE frequencies are available to MTS, Beeline, Megafon and compare them with those possessed by their strong competitors. We can consider the reserves of service providers in relation to the ranges in which they are entitled to provide services, provided, of course, that they have a license. In practice, thanks to the decision of the State Commission on Radio Frequencies, the majority of licensed frequencies can be used by operators.

Frequencies predetermine competition

Let's start with one of the newest Russian operators - Yota. It is considered an independent market player, despite the fact that 100% of the brand's shares belong to MegaFon. Regarding the availability of frequencies, Yota can operate in the 2.6 GHz band. At the same time, according to experts, in fact given operator provides services as a virtual supplier. Real owners used infrastructure channels - "MegaFon", and also, as some analysts believe, - MTS.

In turn, Megafon itself can technologically launch LTE networks in 3 bands - 700, 800, and 2600 MHz. True, this operator is able to use some high-frequency channels only in Moscow and the region. But most likely, MegaFon will not have problems with resources for the further development of infrastructure, experts say. This mobile operator is one of the first in the Russian Federation to introduce LTE networks into commercial operation.

What LTE frequencies does MTS use in Russia? In principle, this operator has no less range of available ranges, when compared with those that Megafon has. MTS can operate at frequencies of 700, 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz. At the same time, as in the case of MegaFon, some channels on high-frequency bands can be used by the operator only in the capital and the Moscow region.

What LTE frequencies does Beeline use? Their spectrum is also quite wide. At the disposal of the operator - ranges of 700, 800, and 2600 MHz. Almost the same opportunities are available to Rostelecom, which is no less actively involved in the development of a new market. There is another promising LTE operator in Russia - Osnova Telecom. It can operate at 2.3 GHz.

The history of the development of the promising LTE market by Tele2 is interesting. For a long time this brand was not present in the considered segment. However, in December 2014, the company nevertheless launched an LTE infrastructure. And she did it in Tula. Experts call Tele2's experience somewhat unique. The fact is that this cellular operator uses the 1800 MHz band, which is quite rarely used by other Russian providers. Tele2's entry into the LTE arena, experts believe, will significantly intensify competition in this segment mobile services.

In addition to the 1800 MHz band, the company also has technical capability use the frequency of 450 MHz, which, as we noted above, is now allowed in Russia for LTE networks. By the way, the very procedure for the appearance of a low range at the disposal of Tele2 is also quite interesting. Initially, another brand, Sky Link, had access to this frequency. However, due to the merger of the assets of Tele2 and Rostelecom, it became controlled by T2 RTK Holding. Which, in turn, owns the Tele2 brand.

LTE frequencies in Russia are now allowed in a fairly wide range, and this, according to experts, will play a positive role in the development of the mobile industry. Also, this circumstance will affect the Internet market as a whole. Wireless networks are increasingly competing with broadband access. Russian users, of course, do not lose connections with providers of the traditional type. However, the percentage mobile traffic, according to experts and analysts, has already come close to the indicators typical for wired Internet access channels.

Despite the fact that LTE is already available in almost all regions of our country, users still have confusion in frequencies (Bands), as well as in the categories of this technology (LTE cat. X). Today I would like to tell you in detail what are the differences between LTE "bands", LTE categories, as well as which of them are already used in Russia, and which ones may appear in the future.

LTE Bands - 4G technology frequencies

Unlike GSM and UMTS, which have become standards for 2G and 3G communications, LTE technology can use a much wider range of frequencies. So, for example, only 4 bands 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz are used in GSM, and 1900-2200 MHz bands are added to them in UMTS.

LTE technology, in turn, can operate at frequencies from ultra-low at 450 MHz to ultra-high at 5 GHz, and moreover, it can combine several bands into one channel using LTE Advanced technology, but we will talk about it a little later.

There are 70 LTE "bands" in total, which differ in frequency and some other parameters, but today I will focus only on those that are used in Russia.

AT this moment Russian operators use 5 bands:

• 3 in the 1800 MHz FDD band;
• 7 in the 2600 MHz FDD band;
• 20 in the 800 MHz FDD band;
• 31 in the 450 MHz FDD band;
• 38 in the 2600 MHz TDD band.

You may have noticed that despite the same frequency range of 2600 MHz in the 7th and 38th bands, they differ in the designations FDD and TDD. Now I will try to explain the difference.

In general, the end user may not notice this difference, however, technologically, FDD and TDD networks are fundamentally different in this. When using FDD (Frequency Division Duplex), incoming and outgoing traffic is separated by frequency, that is, data is loaded at one frequency and uploaded at another. When using TDD (Time Division Duplex), both downloading and uploading data are carried out at the same frequency, only alternately.

From the operator's point of view, it is more profitable to have a TDD network, since it only needs 1 frequency band for both download and upload. From the user's point of view, theoretically, it is more profitable to work in the FDD network, since the upstream and downstream traffic go separately and do not interfere with each other. But in practice, as I noted earlier, the difference will be rather imperceptible.

As for the differences between the other bands, it is worth noting their range, penetration and capacity. Without going into details, the lower the frequency, the higher the range and the better the property of passing through urban areas, but the capacity of the network itself is less and, accordingly , speeds in it.

Band 31 in Russia is currently used only by Tele2, which sells LTE-450 equipment under the Skylink brand. According to the operator himself, this technology is popular in the most remote and sparsely populated areas with poor coverage of other mobile networks. The range of the LTE-450 base station can cover a radius of up to 20 km, which is 5-6 times greater than that of the base station of the LTE-2600 standard. It should be noted that this band is not supported by smartphones, only special modems and routers work with it.

The "Big Three" widely use 3, 7, 20 and 38 bands in Russia, and combine them depending on several factors. The higher the population density and activity, the higher the frequency required, since it is necessary to provide high capacity and good speed . In the centers of megacities, in business districts, in places with high tourist activity, as a rule, 3, 7 and 38 bands are used. In regions where the population density and investment in infrastructure is less, Band 20 is used, since in it the base station can cover a fairly large radius (up to 13.4 km) with good penetration into buildings, while the speed does not suffer, since there is much fewer users who need LTE. But mainly band20 is used either in absolutely sparsely populated areas, or in large cities as an additional range. That is, even if your device does not support band20, you will not be left without 4G, since the territory will additionally be covered by band 3-7-38.

There is another important factor - the availability of certain frequencies in certain regions for certain operators. Here, the operator adapts not only to the specifics of the location, but also to its portfolio of frequencies. The frequencies themselves were raffled among operators at auctions that were held in our country several times.

It is also worth noting that Band 3, operating in the 1800 MHz band, is also the frequency at which 2G / 3G communications operate. That is, the wider the channel the operator wants to give for LTE, the narrower it will become for 2G / 3G networks, which the majority of Russian subscribers continue to use. Naturally, it is too early to talk about a significant refactoring of 1800 MHz networks, but this is an inevitable future, because the share of 2G / 3G gadgets in relation to 4G devices will gradually fall.

LTE-Advanced or what will happen if you combine several Bands

When it comes to LTE Advanced, the text often contains designations like LTE cat.4, LTE cat.6 or LTE cat. 9. Let's try to figure out what they mean, but first, what is called "on the fingers", I will explain what LTE Advanced is in general terms.

LTE Advanced is a technology that allows you to combine several carrier frequency bands into one channel. So, for example, an operator that uses LTE Advanced takes 1.4-20 MHz from one range, combines them into one "pipe" with 1.4-20 MHz from another range, and the output is an aggregated LTE Advanced standard. Today, it is theoretically possible to combine 5 carriers with a maximum bandwidth of 20 MHz, which gives an impressive 100 MHz output, but this is just a theory. Now let's see what happens in practice.

The first operator in Russia to use LTE Advanced on its network was Yota, while still an independent operator. It happened on October 9, 2012, but the operator was so far ahead of its time that the launch turned out to be formal, since there were no modems with LTE Advanced support then, and Yota did not offer SIM cards for smartphones and tablets.

The real commercial launch was carried out by MegaFon in the spring of 2014. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the operator combined two 20 MHz carriers into Band 7, receiving theoretically available 300 Mbps and a network corresponding to the LTE cat category. 6.

In 2015, MegaFon swung at LTE cat. 9 at speeds up to 450 Mbps, which combined 2 carriers of 20 MHz each from Band 7 and another 20 MHz carrier from Band 3. However, it didn’t go further than testing, because to use such a large channel width in Band 3 ( 1800 MHz) required a significant reduction in the capacity of the operator's 2G network.

Beeline, unlike MegaFon, does not have a large number of available frequencies, so its launch of LTE Advanced turned out to be somewhat more modest. At the end of the summer of 2014 in Moscow, the "striped" operator combined Band 7 and Band 20 with a width of 10 MHz and 5 MHz, respectively, having received the maximum possible speed of 112.5 Mbps and a network corresponding to the LTE cat category. 4. After that, during the tests, the operator added a third 20 MHz carrier from Band 3, achieving a maximum speed of 250 Mbps, but such a network was not put into commercial operation. The thing is that 20 MHz in the 1800 MHz band is the entire available Beeline band that is used GSM network, and its refactoring to 4G would lead to a threefold reduction in capacity existing network 2g.

MTS, in turn, launched the first LTE Advanced network in mid-2015, combining 2 5 MHz bands from Band 3 and 1 5 MHz wide band from Band 38, which became a problem for most non-top smartphones, since the aggregation of unequal spectrum bands in different bands only support flagship devices. But in MTS, depending on the region, another aggregation is also used, which is supported by a wider range of gadgets.

To date, MTS has the fastest network in Bashkortostan, where the aggregation of three carriers 1800+2600+800 MHz with a total bandwidth of up to 35 MHz (20+10+5) is used, which allows reaching speeds up to 260 Mbps. But such a network, despite three carriers, corresponds only to the LTE cat category. 4. because the speed does not reach 300Mbps.

To find out in more detail which operator in your region is already working in LTE Advanced, enter the query "LTE Advanced in [your city]" in the Google or Yandex search box and you will surely find news that will answer this question. If you don’t find it, as was the case with me (Kursk), then no one has launched such a network in your region yet. As for coverage maps on the operator's websites, only MegaFon provides information about LTE Advanced so far.

As can be seen from all of the above, MegaFon has an advantage in frequencies and successfully uses it. Other operators, having a more modest portfolio of frequencies, are looking at the LTE-U (LTE Unlicensed) standard, which I will discuss below.

LTE-U - the future without licenses, but with restrictions

As I mentioned earlier, LTE technology is unique in that it can operate in different bands from ultra-low to ultra-high, including the 5 GHz band. This frequency is not licensed, that is, uncontrolled by the state, and modern Wi-Fi routers work on it.

LTE-U (Unlicensed) is a mixture of the usual Wi-Fi and mobile network fourth generation and are compatible with each other. The bottleneck of LTE-U, like Wi-Fi, is the short range of the base station, which makes this technology only suitable for indoor use, such as office buildings and shopping malls. But the unlicensability of 5 GHz is a plus of the technology, since the operator, without additional approvals from government agencies, can set his own base stations and cover any premises with the LTE-U network.

LTE-U does not exist in isolation, but as an addition to LTE and LTE-Advanced, that is, a user device can simultaneously work in several LTE bands using LTE-A and at the same time use LTE-U resources, combining all networks into a single channel, which allows reaching peak speeds of 1 Gbps.

Moreover, Link Aggregation technology is supported, with which you can add speed to your smartphone using home Wi-Fi. That is, while at home, using LTE-U, you can combine the operator's LTE network and home wifi into a single LTE Unlicensed network, which will use all of the above channels simultaneously for data transmission.

At the moment, interest in LTE-U has been expressed by Beeline and MTS, which plan to deploy the first LTE-U networks already in 2017. But there are no smartphones on the market that support this technology, although such devices should go on sale soon. It is worth noting that Russia is not far behind other countries, since not a single LTE Unlicensed network has yet been launched in the world.

Conclusion

Today you learned about the basic terms associated with fourth generation networks, as well as the situation with LTE in Russia. I hope I was able to explain such complex things in simple words. I will note at the end that I deliberately did not delve into the theory and loaded you with unnecessary information that most would not be interested in.

If you want to know anything else about Russian operators, their technologies and networks, you can leave your suggestion in the comments and maybe I will talk about it in one of the following articles.

27.10.2015

In the previous article, we already considered the third generation standards under the general name . However, 4G communication is spreading rapidly. About the main standard in 4G at the moment is LTE. Strictly speaking, LTE was not the first standard of the fourth generation, the first widespread was the WiMAX standard. Yota worked in it for the first time, and some operators still use WiMAX. The maximum speed of WiMAX is 40 Mbps, however, the real figures are in the range from 10 to 20 Mbps.

But back to LTE. It is he who is now the most common in the world in general and in Russia in particular. But what is 4G LTE? LTE (from English) Long term evolution) is a wireless high-speed data transmission standard for mobile devices. It is based on the same GSM / UMTS protocols, however, the theoretical and real data transfer rates in LTE networks are much higher, sometimes even exceeding wired connections!

LTE FDD and LTE TDD: what's the difference?

There are two types of LTE standard, the differences between which are quite significant. FDD- Frequency Division Duplex (frequency separation of the incoming and outgoing channel)
TDD- Time Division Duplex (time separation of the incoming and outgoing channel). Roughly speaking, FDD is parallel LTE and TDD is serial LTE. For example, with a channel width of 20 MHz in FDD LTE, part of the range (15 MHz) is given for download (download), and part (5 MHz) for upload. Thus, the channels do not overlap in frequency, which allows you to work simultaneously and stably for downloading and uploading data. In TDD LTE, the same 20 MHz channel is completely given up for both downloading and uploading, and data is transmitted in both directions in turn, while downloading still has priority. In general, FDD LTE is preferable because it works faster and more stable.

LTE frequencies

LTE networks (FDD and TDD) operate at different frequencies in different countries. In many countries, several frequency bands are operated at once. It should be noted that not all equipment can work on different "bands", i.e. frequency ranges. FDD bands are numbered 1 to 31, TDD bands 33 to 44. There are a few additional standards that have not yet been assigned numbers. Specifications for frequency bands are called bands (BAND). In Russia and Europe, band 7, band 20, band 3 and band 38 are mainly used.

Here is a list of the frequency bands of 4G LTE networks in Russia of the "big five" operators. There are also regional networks 4G LTE of local operators operating in other frequency bands, however, within the framework of this article, their consideration is not necessary.

The most important criterion, which is of particular interest to subscribers, i.е. users of 4G LTE networks, is the data rate. And the speed primarily depends on the width of the frequency range of a particular operator, as well as the type of duplex used in the network. For example, for a 10 MHz channel, the 4G LTE speed will be 75 Mbps. It is with this nominal speed that the LTE FDD (band 7) networks of Tele2, MTS and operators operate. But what about Megaphone? And Megafon can afford more. Because a few years ago there was a merger, or rather, the absorption of Yota by Megafon, but now Megafon also has licenses for Yota frequencies, respectively, the maximum channel width can reach 40 MHz in the 2600 MHz frequency range (band 7), which in theory gives as much as 300 Mbps! But basically, the Megafon 4G network operates in a 15-20 MHz channel, which gives a download speed of 100-150 Mbps. After all, for Iota, something must be left.

LTE-Advanced or 4G+

The next stage in the development of 4G LTE networks is the LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) standard. Some operators call this technology 4G+ for marketing purposes, but this is fundamentally incorrect. Those. in fact, LTE-Advanced is the real 4G. Data rates in the LTE-A network are significantly higher than conventional LTE. Main Feature LTE-Advanced is frequency band aggregation. A subscriber device with LTE-A support summarizes data transmission channels in different frequency bands available to the operator. For example, combining several frequency bands in the 2600 MHz band, it receives a 40 MHz channel, which gives a speed in the LTE-Advanced network of 300 Mbps. But this is far from the limit. If we add another 20 MHz here from the 1800 MHz band, we get a 60 MHz channel (band 7 + band 3), and this is already 450 Mbps! In other matters, these are theoretical or bench speeds. In reality, of course, they are much smaller, but nevertheless wireless technology LTE-Advanced is quite close to wired speeds.

It should be noted that aggregation different channels in different frequency ranges, all operators can, if they have the appropriate licenses and network infrastructure. The main task is to expand the frequency range. The wider it is, the higher it is maximum speed, i.e. network bandwidth. But of course, there must be subscriber equipment that supports LTE-Advanced.

4G LTE prospects

Despite the fact that the 4G LTE standard appeared several years ago, many regions of our country still do not even have 3G networks. So there is still room to grow. The world is already testing networks of the 5th generation (5G), but in real conditions, 4G LTE networks will dominate for a long time, since operators are actively developing them.

In many cases, 4G Internet is not only an alternative to a wired connection, but also the only option without an alternative, including economically viable. Remote objects, the laying of a wire to which is associated with certain difficulties or risks, and sometimes even impossible, also need to be connected. It is often possible to connect 4G Internet even where there is no coverage of LTE networks. For this, special , which catch and amplify the 4G LTE signal. To choose the right antenna, you need to know which operator's network you need to catch, at what frequency it operates, and also in what duplex mode (FDD or TDD). Our determine the type of signal, measure its parameters, select the appropriate equipment to ensure fast and stable access to the Internet via the 4G LTE network.

Good day to all who are interested in this article! Today we will tell you about which LTE bands in Russia are used by mobile operators and which of them occupies a leading position, tell you about the features of LTE, and also explain what a “band” is and why it is needed.

Let's not delay, let's quickly get down to the main part of the article.

A few words about Long-Term Evolution and global performance

This is how the abbreviation LTE stands for. And it is translated as "long-term evolution, long-term development." However, we are more accustomed to calling this technology 4G LTE or just 4G.

LTE is the current standard for high-speed and wireless data transmission for smartphones and other devices. Today, in the developed countries of the world, the discussed standard is no longer an innovation that surprises with its speed.

So, for 2016, according to statistics collected by the OpenSignal agency, the top five countries with the best 4G LTE coverage include:

1. 95.7% - South Korea;
2. 92% - Japan;
3. 84.7% - Lithuania;
4. 84.5% - Hong Kong;
5. 84.1% - the Netherlands.

And the top five "nimble" states were:

1. 50 Mbps - Singapore;
2. 46 Mbps - South Korea;
3. 40.6 Mbps - Hungary;
4. 35.6 Mbps - Romania;
5. 35 Mbps - New Zealand.

Let's get back to the technology itself. The reason for the emergence of this type of standard was the goal of developers to increase the speed and throughput networks using a new method of modulation and digital signal processing, as well as to simplify the architecture of networks working with IP addresses.

Detailed overview of how the standard works

The 4G LTE specification can provide upload speeds of up to almost 173 Mbps, and download speeds of up to approximately 326 Mbps! However, the maximum transmission speed varies from country to country, region, city, and other locality depending on the distance from the station and the radio frequency.

As for the bands, the 1800 MHz band is mainly used in the world.

It is interesting that the described standard is of two types: FDD and TDD.

Frequency Division Duplex, which means " frequency separation channels”, gives part of the traffic for downloading, and the second part for sending data. Thus, parallelism is ensured, i.e. simultaneous work in two directions.

And in the Time Division Duplex (“temporary division of the channel”), the channel is either completely given up for sending information, or completely for downloading.

Now let's talk about frequency. LTE networks are not compatible with 2G and 3G networks. Therefore, separate frequencies are allocated for them, which should catch and support your Cell phones. Certain frequency ranges are allocated to 4G LTE bands and are called bands with the addition of a serial number.

For example, band 7 for FDD download corresponds to the range 2620-2690, and for upload - 2500-2570.

LTE in the Russian Federation

Well, now we decided to tell you about the situation in Russia.

As for the named state, the coverage percentage almost reaches 70%, however, 4G LTE does not operate in all regions and not at full capacity. In some localities this network covers only administrative centers.

However, Russian mobile operators are actively expanding their coverage areas and tirelessly participate in auctions for the sale of 4G frequencies. Thanks to it for 2017 the specification of LTE successfully functions a little more, than in 80 regions.

Now let's look at the ranges and frequencies.

AT Russian Federation The standard operates in the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands. And popular bands (band), as in Europe, are band 3, band 7, band 20.

To the "big five" of Russian mobile operators that provide their customers with 4G LTE include:

1. Yota - uses band 7 and provides a channel width of 2x30 MHz;
2. Megafon - uses band 7, 20, maximum channel width 2 × 10 MHz;
3. MTS - uses all four LTE bands, the maximum channel width is 2 × 10 MHz;
4. Beeline - in the arsenal of band 7 and band 20, and the channel width reaches 2 × 10 MHz;
5. Tele2 - still uses bands 20 and 7, the maximum width is 2 × 10 MHz.

All networks are FDD.

It should also be noted that not all smartphones catch a similar network. The best devices that support 4G LTE are the iPhone 6s, iPhone 5, 5s, and 7th generation models.

So we told you everything about the LTE standard and its development in Russia.

We hope that you have learned a lot of interesting and new things for yourself. We are waiting for you among the blog subscribers, and also do not forget to join our groups in popular social networks and services: Vkontakte, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. See you soon!

Sincerely, the website team