Peak LTE data rate can be calculated using the following parameters:

1 Time-slot=0.5 ms (i.e 1 Sub-frame = 1 ms)
1 Time-slot=7 Modulation Symbols (when normal CP length is used)
1 Modulation Symbol=6 bits; if 64 QAM is used as modulation scheme

Data rate for a single carrier=Number of symbols per time slot*Bits per symbol/Duration of a time slot=7*6/0.5e-3=84kbps

If 1200 carriers (100RBs) are used then the aggregated throughput would be=1200*84kbps=100.8Mbps

If 4×4 MIMO is used then the capacity would increase four fold to=403.2Mbps

With 3/4 channel coding the data rate would be reduced to=302.4Mbps

Note:

1. A Resource Block (RB)=12 Carriers

2. Actual data rate would depend upon the instantaneous channel conditions and number of users sharing the resources e.g. going down from 64QAM to QPSK in adverse channel conditions would reduce the data rate from 302.4Mbps to 100.8Mbps.  Changing the code rate from 3/4 to 1/3 would further reduce the data rate to 44.8Mbps.

Author: Yasir Ahmed (aka John)

More than 20 years of experience in various organizations in Pakistan, the USA, and Europe. Worked as a Research Assistant within the Mobile and Portable Radio Group (MPRG) of Virginia Tech and was one of the first researchers to propose Space Time Block Codes for eight transmit antennas. The collaboration with MPRG continued even after graduating with an MSEE degree and has resulted in 12 research publications and a book on Wireless Communications. Worked for Qualcomm USA as an Engineer with the key role of performance and conformance testing of UMTS modems. Qualcomm is the inventor of CDMA technology and owns patents critical to the 4G and 5G standards.

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