LTE Advanced

LTE Advanced, also named or recognized as LTE+, LTE-A or 4G+, is a 4G mobile cellular communication standard developed by 3GPP as a major enhancement of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.

Three technologies from the LTE-Advanced tool-kit – carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM modulation in the downlink – if used together and with sufficient aggregated bandwidth, can deliver maximum peak downlink speeds approaching, or even exceeding, 1 Gbit/s. This is significantly more than the peak 300 Mbit/s rate offered by the preceding LTE standard.^[1] Later developments have resulted in LTE Advanced Pro (or 4.9G) which increases bandwidth even further.^[2]

LTE Advanced signal indicator in Android

LTE Advanced signal indicator on a Xiaomi smartphone

LTE Advanced signal indicator (4G+) on a Samsung Galaxy smartphones in Europe

The first ever LTE Advanced network was deployed in 2013 by SK Telecom in South Korea.^[3] In August 2019, the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) reported that there were 304 commercially launched LTE-Advanced networks in 134 countries. Overall, 335 operators are investing in LTE-Advanced (in the form of tests, trials, deployments or commercial service provision) in 141 countries.^[4]

^ "LTE vs LTE Advanced: Is 4G LTE different from LTE Advanced? – Commsbrief". Retrieved 2025-02-27.
^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "SK Telecom launches world's first LTE-Advanced network". CNET. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
^ GSA: LTE-Advanced Status Worldwide – August 2019

[1] "LTE vs LTE Advanced: Is 4G LTE different from LTE Advanced? – Commsbrief". Retrieved 2025-02-27.

[:0-2] Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] "SK Telecom launches world's first LTE-Advanced network". CNET. Retrieved 2025-02-27.

[4] GSA: LTE-Advanced Status Worldwide – August 2019

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