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Overview
Long Term Evolution (LTE) introduced an all-IP cellular architecture capable of delivering significantly higher throughput, lower latency and improved spectral efficiency compared to previous cellular generations. SNYPER products can identify and analyse LTE networks, reporting a range of radio measurements and network identifiers that assist engineers in evaluating network performance, network suitability and deployment planning. This guide explains the LTE terminology commonly encountered during SNYPER surveys.
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| SNYPER-5G Graphyte | 5G NR, 4G LTE, LTE-M, NB-IoT and 2G/GSM Signal Analyser & Datalogger |
| SNYPER-LTE Graphyte | LTE cellular network analyser |
| SENTRY Network Analysers | Embedded cellular monitoring products |
| CloudSURVEY | Cellular survey visualisation platform |
This guide explains:
Expected Result
At the end of this guide the user will understand the identifiers and radio measurements reported during LTE surveys and be able to assess network suitability more effectively.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a fourth-generation cellular technology designed to provide high-speed packet data communications using an all-IP network architecture.
LTE introduced:
LTE forms the foundation for:
An eNodeB (Evolved Node B) is an LTE base station responsible for radio communications with connected devices.
The eNodeB is the primary LTE infrastructure element that devices communicate with during operation.
The ECI uniquely identifies an LTE cell within a network.
ECI allows engineers to:
Tracking Area Code identifies a geographical region within an LTE network.
Used for:
Devices moving between tracking areas may perform location update procedures.
E-UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number.
EARFCN identifies a specific LTE carrier frequency.
EARFCN allows identification of:
| EARFCN | LTE Band |
|---|---|
| 6300 | Band 20 |
| 1300 | Band 3 |
| 300 | Band 1 |
LTE can operate across numerous frequency allocations.
| Band | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Band 1 | 2100 MHz |
| Band 3 | 1800 MHz |
| Band 7 | 2600 MHz |
| Band 8 | 900 MHz |
| Band 20 | 800 MHz |
| Band 28 | 700 MHz |
| Band 32 | 1500 MHz |
| Band | Typical Behaviour |
|---|---|
| 700 MHz | Excellent range and penetration |
| 800 MHz | Excellent coverage |
| 900 MHz | Good building penetration |
| 1800 MHz | Balanced coverage and capacity |
| 2100 MHz | Moderate coverage |
| 2600 MHz | High capacity deployment |
Physical Cell Identity uniquely identifies a radio cell within a local area.
0 – 503
PCI allows devices to distinguish neighbouring LTE cells operating on the same frequency.
Received Signal Strength Indicator.
RSSI represents the total received radio power across the LTE channel.
RSSI provides a general indication of overall radio energy but does not indicate signal quality.
| RSSI | Quality |
|---|---|
| Better than -65 dBm | Excellent |
| -65 to -75 dBm | Good |
| -75 to -85 dBm | Fair |
| -85 to -95 dBm | Weak |
| Worse than -95 dBm | Poor |
Reference Signal Received Power.
RSRP measures the received power of LTE reference signals.
RSRP is the primary LTE signal strength measurement.
| RSRP | Quality |
|---|---|
| Better than -80 dBm | Excellent |
| -80 to -90 dBm | Good |
| -90 to -100 dBm | Fair |
| -100 to -110 dBm | Weak |
| Worse than -110 dBm | Poor |
Reference Signal Received Quality.
RSRQ measures LTE signal quality by comparing useful signal power against total received energy.
RSRQ identifies:
| RSRQ | Quality |
|---|---|
| Better than -8 dB | Excellent |
| -8 to -10 dB | Good |
| -10 to -12 dB | Fair |
| -12 to -15 dB | Poor |
| Worse than -15 dB | Very Poor |
Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio.
SINR compares useful signal energy against unwanted interference and noise.
SINR is often the best indicator of achievable LTE performance.
| SINR | Quality |
|---|---|
| Above 20 dB | Excellent |
| 13 to 20 dB | Good |
| 0 to 13 dB | Fair |
| -10 to 0 dB | Poor |
| Below -10 dB | Very Poor |
Higher SINR generally enables:
Channel Quality Indicator.
CQI represents the quality of the radio channel as perceived by the device.
The network uses CQI information to determine:
1 – 15
| CQI | Quality |
|---|---|
| 13–15 | Excellent |
| 10–12 | Good |
| 7–9 | Fair |
| 4–6 | Poor |
| 1–3 | Very Poor |
LTE supports multiple channel bandwidths.
| Bandwidth |
|---|
| 1.4 MHz |
| 3 MHz |
| 5 MHz |
| 10 MHz |
| 15 MHz |
| 20 MHz |
Larger bandwidths generally provide:
LTE supports two duplexing methods.
Separate frequencies are used for uplink and downlink communication.
The same frequency is shared between uplink and downlink transmissions.
Different regions and operators may deploy different duplexing methods.
Carrier Aggregation combines multiple LTE carriers to increase throughput.
A device may simultaneously use:
to achieve higher throughput than either carrier individually.
Multiple Input Multiple Output.
MIMO uses multiple antennas to improve throughput and reliability.
| Configuration |
|---|
| 2x2 MIMO |
| 4x4 MIMO |
| 8x8 MIMO |
Voice over LTE.
VoLTE enables voice calls to be carried using LTE packet data rather than legacy circuit-switched technologies.
Both signal strength and signal quality should be considered together.
| Measurement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| RSRP | Signal strength |
| RSRQ | Signal quality |
| SINR | Interference performance |
| RSSI | Total received energy |
| RSRP | RSRQ | SINR | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Outstanding network |
| Excellent | Poor | Poor | Congested network |
| Weak | Excellent | Excellent | Distant but clean signal |
| Weak | Poor | Poor | Unsuitable deployment |
LTE provides the foundation for:
Many LTE survey measurements also apply to IoT technologies.
For dedicated terminology see:
| Observation | Possible Cause | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Low RSRP | Weak coverage | Improve antenna placement |
| Poor RSRQ | Network congestion | Compare neighbouring cells |
| Low SINR | High interference | Reposition antenna |
| Frequent Cell Changes | Borderline coverage | Improve installation location |
| Slow Throughput | Congestion or poor CQI | Compare operators |
| Missing Expected LTE Network | Coverage limitation | Re-survey location |
| Parameter | Purpose |
|---|---|
| EARFCN | Frequency identification |
| PCI | Cell identification |
| TAC | Tracking area identification |
| ECI | Cell identification |
| RSSI | Overall received energy |
| RSRP | Signal strength |
| RSRQ | Signal quality |
| SINR | Interference assessment |
| CQI | Channel quality |
| Bandwidth | Available radio resources |
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