TITLE:
LTE and WiMAX: Comparison and Future Perspective
AUTHORS:
Ismat Aldmour
KEYWORDS:
LTE-Advanced; WiMAX 2; 3GPP Release 10; IEEE 802.16m; WiMAX-Advanced; LTE vs WiMAX
JOURNAL NAME:
Communications and Network,
Vol.5 No.4,
November
28,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Two wireless technologies, WiMAX based on IEEE standards
and LTE standardized by 3GPP, are two competing technologies, nevertheless, are
very technically similar. This competition started with the advent of their
pre-4G versions (802.16e for Mobile WiMAX and 3GPP release 8 for LTE) and
continued with the advent of their 4G versions (WiMAX 2.0 based on IEEE 802.16 m and
LTE-Advanced standardized by Release 10). It looks that the competition ended with the
advantage of LTE. Plans are set for WiMAX to migrate/integrate with LTE in a
multiple heterogeneous access technology mode. This article addresses the
technical similarities and differences that advantage one technology over the
other technology in order to determine which of these factors might have contributed
to LTE winning. Nontechnical factors of commercial and historical nature which
might also advantage one technology over the other one are also explored.
Finally, current activities in the standardization of both WiMAX and LTE are
presented with a perspective on the prospects of both technologies.