3GPP

LTE (telecommunication)

LTE is a 3GPP Release 8 standard finalised in December 2008. It replaces GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA radio interfaces and the GPRS Core Network with a new air interface and IP-based Evolved Packet Core. It delivers peak downlink/uplink rates of 300/75 Mbit/s and sub-5 ms radio access network latency. It supports scalable bandwidths (1.4–20 MHz) and both FDD and TDD. It enables seamless handovers to GSM, UMTS, and CDMA2000. Its specifications span hundreds of documents per Release, organised into stages defining service requirements, architecture, and protocol implementation. It became the de facto upgrade path for carriers with both GSM/UMTS and CDMA2000 networks.