Bahir Dar University

Bahir Dar Institute of Technology

MSc In Communications Systems
Engineering

Recent Trends in Communication Technologies Assignment 2

LTE Vs WiMAX (Their Similarity and Difference)

By:
Dessie Fikir
Submitted to Dr. Yihenew W. (PhD)

January 30, 2024

1 Similarities Between LTE and WiMAX
IP-Based Networks: Both LTE and WiMAX are based on IP networks. They have
been designed from their origins as all-IP access networks, providing a strong founda-
tion for integration with internet-based technologies and services.
All-IP Architectures: Both LTE and WiMAX are designed with an all-IP archi-
tecture, enabling end-to-end IP-based connectivity. This commonly supports efficient
integration with other IP-based networks and services.
Switching technology: Both the LTE network and WiMAX network support packet
switching with an all-IP network. All-IP network is a great evolution compared with
traditional communication networks, such as 2G and 3G including the circuit-switched
domain. They are all-packet technology with a packet network core with low latency
and are required to manage a lot of multimedia traffic. This makes them best for
bursty data traffic with good VoIP support.
LTE and WiMAX use AMC (adaptive modulation and coding) for link
adaptation. The connection that is currently using modulation like 16 QAM can be
re-scheduled to QPSK, which is a more robust modulation whenever the user’s signal
is fading, e.g. the user is moving away from the base station therefore struggling with
smaller signal-to-noise ratios.
Both use OFDMA, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access, a mul-
tiple access technology that is a form of FDM in which the subcarriers are made
orthogonal to each other. Both use OFDMA-MIMO with flat-IP architecture
and both are meant to meet or even surpass IMT-Advanced requirements with similar
enabling technologies.
Both LTE/WiMAX use of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) tech-
nique for error detection and multiple antennas to further augment performance and
data rates.
Both LTE and WiMAX use a version of OFDMA called scalable OFDMA (SOFDMA),
whenever the bandwidth allotted to the service provider changes, the number of sub-
carriers also changes to keep the inter-carrier spacing fixed.
Both WiMAX and LTE use the downlink (OFDMA):From the cell tower to
the end user which is enhanced with the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
(OFDM) which allows video and multimedia transmission.
Both the architectures of LTE and WiMAX ensure seamless integration into the
existing 3GPP cellular wireless networks and provide simplified support and handover

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to 3GPP and non-3GPP access technologies.
Both LTE and WiMAX networks support FDD and TDD modes in radio access
modes, although the earlier version of WiMAX only supports TDD mode.
They are both 4G emerging technologies and stronger where Wi-Fi is weak,
having stronger QoS support (supports diverse QoS requirements and traffic charac-
teristics), and wider coverage, which makes them potential candidates for the next
generation of mobile enterprise networks. They are known as 4G wireless technologies
which have pure IP architecture, high capacity, wide coverage, and strong quality of
service mechanism. They operate in licensed spectrum bands. Both give high-speed
internet access for mobile users to experience the reality of the triple play services.

2 Differences between LTE and WiMAX

They differ in terms of access methods, frequency bands, coverage, QoS capabilities,
backward compatibility, and standardization. These architectural differences make
each technology suitable for specific use cases and deployment scenarios.
Multiple Access technology: LTE uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple
Access (OFDMA) in the downlink, and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple
Access (SC-FDMA) in the uplink. SC-FDMA reduces Peak-to-Average-Power-Ratio
(PAPR) giving rise to uplink improvements that can be utilized to improve coverage or
throughputs of cell edge users. While WiMAX uses Orthogonal Frequency-Division
Multiple Access (OFDMA) for both uplink and downlink. The SC-FDMA is su-
perior to OFDMA, howeveritis restricted to LTE uplink because the increased time
domain processing of SC-FDMA would entail a considerable burden on base stations.
Backward Compatibility: LTE is designed to be backward compatible with ex-
isting 2G and 3G networks. This allows for a smooth transition and coexistence with
older technologies. WiMAX does not have the same level of backward compatibility,
which can make migration from older networks more challenging.
Frequency band (Spectrum): Legacy LTE primarily operates in licensed fre-
quency bands, which are regulated and allocated by telecommunication authorities,
it uses Licensed IMT-2000 Bands at bands like 700, 900, 1800, 2100, and 2600 MHz,
While legacy WiMAX operates in both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands,
allowing for more flexibility in deployment, at 2.3, 2.5, 3.5 and 5.8 GHz. Thus LTE
is generally available at the preferred low frequency band which gives it a coverage
advantage.
Radio Access Modes: Both the LTE and WiMAX air Interface support FDD and

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TDD modes. The earlier versions of WiMAX, prior to IEEE 802.16e (before WiMAX
Forum Release 1.5) only supported the TDD mode. The FDD mode in WiMAX defines
a half duplex FDD mode to support lower complexity terminals which time shares the
hardware resources between the uplink and downlink. This mode is in consideration
new line
for LTE. WiMAX is a TDD technology that does not require paired spectrum
with flexibility in sharing the time frame between the uplink and the downlink. This
made it appear more appropriate for data as the viable wireless alternative to wired
DSL. On the other hand, phone companies, adopting 3GPP/3GPP2 standards of
2G, 3G, and LTE use one band of frequencies for the uplink and another band for the
downlink. This makes these systems more costly in terms of spectrum and equipment.
Access Method: WiMAX uses a point-to-multipoint access method, which means
that a base station can connect with multiple subscriber devices simultaneously. LTE,
on the other hand, uses a point-to-point access method, where each subscriber device
connects directly to a base station.
Evolutions: LTE evolves from the Third-generation technology which is based on
WCDMA and defines the long-term evolution of the 3GPP UMTS/HSPA cellular
technology. Based on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard,
widely used for 2G and 3G networks. It benefits from the extensive development and
global adoption of GSM. On the other hand, the WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 stan-
dard) comes from the IEEE family of protocols and extends the wireless access from
the Local Area Network (typically based on the IEEE 802.11 standard) to Metropoli-
tan Area Networks (MAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN), specifically designed for
broadband wireless access. The general evolution of these Mobile wireless technologies
towards 4G is presented in below Figure 1. This figure shows the wireless technology
evolution path for WiMAX and LTE towards the ITU defined ‘IMT-Advanced’ 4G
standard

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 Figure 1: Evolution path LTE and WiMAX towards 4G

Coverage and Range: WiMAX typically offers a larger coverage area compared
to LTE. It can cover a radius of several miles, making it suitable for providing wireless
broadband in rural areas. LTE has a smaller coverage area but provides higher data
rates and better performance in densely populated urban areas.
Inter-carrier spacing: LTE uses a standard 15 KHz intercarrier spacing, while
WiMAX 2.0 uses 10.94 KHz. The larger the inter-carrier spacing the higher the im-
munity against Doppler spread. LTE can handle mobility speeds up to 350 Km/hr,
While WiMAX can support speeds of the order of 120 Km/hr with WiMAX 2.0 up to
350 Km/hr.

3 System Architectures
Both the LTE and WiMAX System Architecture aim to improve latency, ca-
pacity, and throughput while simplifying the core network and optimizing the IP
traffic and services. Both architectures ensure seamless integration into the ex-
isting 3GPP cellular wireless networks and provide simplified support and handover to
3GPP and non-3GPP access technologies.

3.1 The LTE Architecture

Evolving from the 3GPP family, the LTE takes the 3G UMTS architecture as the base-
line to define a simplified model in tandem with the 3GPP SAE (System Architecture

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Evolution) and Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The LTE focuses on enhancing and op-
timizing the baseline architecture of the 3G-Cellular, specifically simplifying
the UTRAN (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) and UTRA and delivering
services utilizing an Evolved Packet Core.

• Provide open interfaces to support multi-vendor deployments.

• Provide robustness: no single point of failure.

• Support multi-RAT (Radio Access Technology) with resources controlled from

the network.

• Support of seamless mobility to legacy systems as well as to other emerging

systems including inter RAT Handovers and Service-based RAT Selection.

• Maintain an appropriate level of security.

LTE’s architectural components, including the E-UTRAN, EPC, and associated system
elements. The high-level network architecture of LTE is comprised of the following
three main components:

• The User Equipment (UE).

• The Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN).

• The Evolved Packet Core (EPC).

The evolved packet core communicates with packet data networks in the outside world
such as the Internet, private corporate networks, or the IP multimedia subsystem. The
interfaces between the different parts of the system are denoted Uu, S1, and SGi. The
E-UTRAN is connected to the EPC (Evolved Packet Core) through the S1 interface
as shown below:

Figure 2: The high-level network architecture of LTE

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 The User Equipment (UE):
The internal architecture of the user equipment for LTE is identical to the one used by
UMTS and GSM which is Mobile Equipment (ME). The mobile equipment comprised
the following important modules
Mobile Termination (MT): This handles all the communication functions. Ter-
minal Equipment (TE): This terminates the data streams. Universal Integrated
Circuit Card (UICC): This is also known as the SIM card for LTE equipment’s.
It runs an application known as the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM). A
USIM stores user-specific data very similar to a 3G SIM card. This keeps information
about the user’s phone number, home network identity security keys, etc.
The E-UTRAN (The access network)
The architecture of the evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)
has been illustrated below.

Figure 3: Architecture of E-UTRAN

The E-UTRAN handles the radio communications between the mobile and the
evolved packet core and just has one component, the evolved base stations, called
eNodeB or eNB. The eNB performs the following functions:

• Radio Resource Management

• IP header compression and encryption

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 • Selection of MME at UE attachment

• Routing of user plane data towards S-GW

• Scheduling and transmission of paging and broadcast information

• Mobility measurement and configuration reporting

The Evolved Packet Core (EPC) (The core network)

The MME functions include:

• Paging message distribution to eNBs

• Security control

• Idle state mobility control

• SAE bearer control

• Ciphering and integrity protection of non-access stratum (NAS) signaling

Figure 4: Architecture of EPC

The functions performed by S-GW are:

• Termination of user-plane packets for paging reasons

• Switching of a user plane for UE mobility

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The Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW): communicates with the
outside world i.e. Packet data networks PDN, using the SGi interface. Each packet
data network is identified by an access point name (APN). The PDN gateway has the
same role as the GPRS support node (GGSN) and the serving GPRS support node
(SGSN) with UMTS and GSM. It is responsible for routing data packets between the
LTE network and external networks, as well as managing the allocation of IP addresses
and quality of service for UE.
The Home Subscriber Server (HSS) component: has been carried forward from
UMTS and GSM and is a central database that contains information about all the net-
work operator’s subscribers. It is used for authentication, authorization, and mobility
management.
Air Interface and Radio Resource Management
OFDMA and SC-FDMA: LTE employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple
Access (OFDMA) in the downlink and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple
Access (SC-FDMA) in the uplink, effectively utilizing frequency resources.
Radio Resource Management (RRM): Includes scheduling, power control, inter-
ference management, and beamforming to ensure efficient use of radio resources and
maximize spectral efficiency.

3.2 The WiMAX Architecture

The WiMAX network architecture is designed to provide an IP-friendly framework
with scalable data capacity, open access to innovative applications and services, en-
hanced QoS, and mobility. The IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard provides the air interface
for WiMAX but does not define the full end-to-end WiMAX network. The WiMAX
Forum defines a basic architecture for IP-based connectivity and services while sup-
porting all levels of mobility. The WiMAX Forum has developed a network reference
model to serve as an architecture framework for WiMAX deployments and to ensure
interoperability among various WiMAX equipment and operators. The network refer-
ence model envisions a unified network architecture for supporting fixed, nomadic, and
mobile deployments and is based on an IP service model. The WiMAX Network Ref-
erence Model (NRM) logically representing a WiMAX network architecture is shown
in the figure below.

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 Figure 5: The WiMAX Network Reference Model

The WiMAX network can be deployed as a green field network (no legacy
support) or as an overlay to existing fixed legacy circuit-switched systems or mobile
access networks such as 2G/3G cellular systems or cable/digital subscriber line (DSL).
It can also be used on wireless backhaul to WiFi hot spots, fixed/nomadic access to
customer premises equipment (CPE) residential gateways (RGs), and mobile access
to notebooks, smartphones, and next-generation WiMAX-embedded mobile Internet
devices.
Mobile Stations (MS): used by the end user to access the network. Both fixed and
mobile device terminals provide wireless connectivity between single or multiple hosts
and a WiMAX network.
The Access Service Network (ASN): which comprises one or more base stations
and one or more ASN gateways that form the radio access network at the edge. Per-
forms various network functions required to provide radio access to the MS.

• Layer 2 connectivity with the MS

• Transfer of AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) messages to

the H-NSP (Home NSP)

• Radio Resource Management (RRM)

• ASN and CSN anchored mobility

• Paging and location management

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Base Station (BS): The BS is a logical entity that primarily performs the radio-
related functions of an ASN interface with the MS. Each BS is associated with one
sector with one frequency assignment and may incorporate a Down Link/Up Link
scheduler.
ASN Gateway (ASN-GW): ASN-GW is a logical entity that represents an aggrega-
tion of centralized functions related to Qos, security, and mobility management for all
the data connections served by its association with the BSs through the R6 interface.
It also performs IP layer interactions with the CSN through R3 interface and with
other ASNs through R4 interface for mobility.
Connectivity Service Network (CSN): The CSN provides IP connectivity services
to WiMAX subscribers and may comprise of network elements such as routers, AAA
proxy/servers, home agent, and user databases as well as interworking gateways or
enhanced network servers to support multicast, broadcast and location based services.
Some of the key functions of CSN include:

• IP address management

• AAA proxy or server

• QoS policy and admission control based on user subscription profiles

• ASN-CSN tunneling support

• Subscriber billing and inter-operator settlement

• Inter-CSN tunneling for roaming

• CSN-anchored inter-ASN mobility

• Connectivity to IMS, location based services, peer-to-peer services, and broadcast

and multicast services

4 Comparison Summary
The key highlights of the comparison between the two next-generation broadband
wireless access technologies: 3GPP LTE and WiMAX IEEE 802.16e presented in the
Table 1 below

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Table 1: Key highlights of the comparison between LTE and WiMAX

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 Aspect LTE WiMAX
Legacy GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA IEEE 802.16 a through d
Core Network UTRAN moving towards All-IP WiMAX forum All-IP network
Evolved-UTRA (E-UTRA) core net-
work with IMS with SAE Architec-
ture
Access technology: DL (OFDMA) and UL (SC-FDMA) OFDMA for both DL and UL
FFT Sizes 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048
Radio Ac- TDD and FDD TDD and FDD
cess Modes
Frequency Band Existing (800, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) NLOS: 2-11 GHz
and new frequency bands (Range
800 MHz – 2.62 GHz)
Peak Data rate DL (100 to 326.4Mbps) and UL (50 DL (75 Mbps) and UL (25
to 86.4 Mbps) Mbps)
Channel Scalable from 1.25 to 20 MHz with Scalable from 1.25 to 20 MHz
bandwidth system profiles 1.25, 1.4, 2.5, 3, 5, with system profiles 1.25, 2.5,
10, 15, and 20 MHz 5, 10, 20 MHz
Cell radius 5 Km 20.7 km for 3.5 or 7MHz BW
8.4 km for 5 or 10 MHz BW
Mobility Speed (Up to 350 Km/h) and Han- Speed (Up to 120 Km/h) and
dover (Inter-cell soft handovers sup- Handover (Optimized hard
ported) handovers supported)
Peak Data rate DL (100 to 326.4Mbps) and UL (50 DL (75 Mbps) and UL (25
to 86.4 Mbps) Mbps)
Peak Data rate DL (100 to 326.4Mbps) and UL (50 DL (75 Mbps) and UL (25
to 86.4 Mbps) Mbps)

Table 2: A 13x3 Table

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