After 3G? It is 3G LTE

After 3G? It is 3G LTE

3G may need a major leap forward in capabilities to remain competitive, amid alternative technologies, such as DVB-H and WiMAX. HSDPA or MBMS (multimedia broadcast and multicast service) only bring short -term enhancements, but did not match mobile TV delivery. It is why 3G LTE (long-term evolution) could dramatically enhance the capabilities of 3G networks from 2009, with faster downlink data rate of 100 Mbit/s, 3-5 times higher capacity and low latency (about 20ms). Mobile TV (either broadcast or unicast) could be offered without the need for a separate network (DVB-H), and mobile VOIP could finally take off. But there are still some important challenges to overcome: additional spectrum is needed, and level of investments in infrastructure and spectrum are still to be evaluated.