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Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
Ockie
Resident Lead Bender
I think it depends on the band used. LTE is 850mhz band will travel a lot further than LTE in 2.6ghz band. The size of a cell is also controlled by the network engineers. They can make it as large or as small as is needed to prevent interferance etc. I think I read a cell can be as small as 100 meters and as large as 100 kilometers. I would also guess to get a cell that large you need to up the power output also. I hope Jannie will jump in here also. These things are very interesting.
I also heard that in Brazil they are testing LTE in the 400mhz band. Imagine how large that cell can be!
I also heard that in Brazil they are testing LTE in the 400mhz band. Imagine how large that cell can be!
SteveO
Expert Member
I think it depends on the band used. LTE is 850mhz band will travel a lot further than LTE in 2.6ghz band. The size of a cell is also controlled by the network engineers. They can make it as large or as small as is needed to prevent interferance etc. I think I read a cell can be as small as 100 meters and as large as 100 kilometers. I would also guess to get a cell that large you need to up the power output also. I hope Jannie will jump in here also. These things are very interesting.
I also heard that in Brazil they are testing LTE in the 400mhz band. Imagine how large that cell can be!
It also has to do with the power and bandwidth, 5mhz on 1800mhz can propagate further than 10mhz on 800mhz, given both radios are using the same power level.
Then there are exteneded range features etc, so ya depends on the config.
OP, can I ask why you are interested?
SteveO
Expert Member
...tell that to MTN VC etc
Bern
Expert Member
I would like to add a question: can you use the unlicensed bands for LTE as in 2.4 and 5.8? I has the idea you could do that with WiMax, so I am just wondering if there is any reason you would not be allowed to for LTE or if the limited power output for unlicensed would make it mute.
Ockie
Resident Lead Bender
I dont see why not unless there is a regulation against something like this in the networks licenses from ICASA. Where you will definately have a problem is that you will not get a modem or a phone that will support that band...thus rendering it useless basically.
I have a interest in the wireless technology sector amongst others.
SteveO
Expert Member
No, will never happen. LTE tech and the patents are owned by the 3GPP partners. They control who can manufacture radios etc and generally limit the bands to licensed spectrum. Secondly, LTE is not like WiFi where there is collision mitigation. Each tower has its own channel number and each operator has a specific spectrum frequency. If 2.4 or 5GHz were used then you would have multiple operators trying to use the same channel, the noise would kill off any decent use.
Terencek
Expert Member
All extremely interesting -- but still no-one has given a ballpark indication of how far LTE signals might conceivably reach -- the OP's original question....
Ockie
Resident Lead Bender
That's way too big for a ball park!