When is LTE useful?

[Spectrum Abuser]

For now...but when an LTE capable iPhone hits the market, all bets are off. There is no way any carrier is dropping tens of millions iPhone users itching to stream HD video without data caps in place....

Data caps are in place. Just not at 2GB.

 

[aneftp]

LTE can handle data congested areas much better. My friend was at Baltimore Ravens playoff game and could stream YouTube easily while my cousins Verizon CDMA iPhone was choking.


LTE supposedly can travel further distances. So supposely travels further than EVDO.

Battery life right now is a major drawback. My Gnex dies with 2.5 hours Netflix LTE streaming.

 

[sentinelsx]

LTE can handle data congested areas much better. My friend was at Baltimore Ravens playoff game and could stream YouTube easily while my cousins Verizon CDMA iPhone was choking.


LTE supposedly can travel further distances. So supposely travels further than EVDO.

Battery life right now is a major drawback. My Gnex dies with 2.5 hours Netflix LTE streaming.

LTE gives each user their own sub-channel and then sends the data out making it faster compared to traditional CDMA.

The range is not much different from EVDO.

 

[rjohnstone]

LTE gives each user their own sub-channel and then sends the data out making it faster compared to traditional CDMA.

The range is not much different from EVDO.

Range will depend on what LTE band you're running.
CDMA, EVDO, WCDMA, etc are subject to the same limitations.
It's the radio frequency and the broadcast power that determines range.

A 700Mhz LTE signal will travel farther than 800Mhz CDMA signal of equal broadcast power.
The longer the wavelength, the father it will travel.

Here's the kicker... the upper bands, AWS 1700Mhz, 1900 and 2100, will have better data throughput. They will require a higher density of cell towers to be effective, but they will allow for faster speeds.
So the carriers will have to choose between coverage and speed.
Guess which one they will choose if given the choice? (Carriers won't have a choice in some areas due to availability)

 

[sentinelsx]

Range will depend on what LTE band you're running.
CDMA, EVDO, WCDMA, etc are subject to the same limitations.
It's the radio frequency and the broadcast power that determines range.

A 700Mhz LTE signal will travel farther than 800Mhz CDMA signal of equal broadcast power.
The longer the wavelength, the father it will travel.

Here's the kicker... the upper bands, AWS 1700Mhz, 1900 and 2100, will have better data throughput. They will require a higher density of cell towers to be effective, but they will allow for faster speeds.
So the carriers will have to choose between coverage and speed.
Guess which one they will choose if given the choice? (Carriers won't have a choice in some areas due to availability)

True but in most cases, your effective range from a cell tower is going to be no bigger than a few kms which is the case today as well. Carriers are always going to look at compromises.