5G is faster, less congested, and has a larger capacity than 4G. 5G wireless technology will have more incredible speed and capacity than 4G, supporting 100X the traffic capacity per unit area. 5G is designed to be more efficient with lower latency (a key performance indicator of a cellular network) and provide the ability to connect to a massive number of devices.
Summary
5G vs LTE
The main difference between 5G and LTE is that 5G uses a 30 to 300 GHz radio band. On the other hand, LTE uses a radio frequency of up to 6 GHz and is based on 4G technology. 5G is a technology developed to improve the speed of 4G LTE.
5G is not just an incremental improvement over its predecessors; it’s completely different in everything from frequency bands to modulation techniques. It promises peak data rates up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), which is more than 100 times faster than 4G LTE. Media companies should be drooling at the thought of such high-speed mobile broadband for live video streaming and other services. Consumers should enjoy much faster downloads for music and videos, as well as more responsive online gaming.
LTE is a wireless communication standard designed to provide up to 10x the speeds of 3G networks for mobile devices. LTE can also be used in fixed wireless applications. In addition to high-speed data rates, LTE provides greater bandwidth efficiency, improved spectral efficiency and higher system capacity. The technologies that make up LTE advanced include carrier aggregation, enhanced MIMO (multiple input/multiple outputs) and higher-order modulation.
Comparison Table Between 5G and LTE
| Parameters of Comparison | 5G | LTE |
| Connected devices | Per square kilometre, 5G can accommodate a million devices. | Each sector of LTE may accommodate up to 250 devices. |
| Full form | Fifth-generation is the complete form of 5G. | Long-Term Evolution is the full name for LTE. |
| Speed | The speed of 5G ranges from 1 to 20 gigabits per second (Gbps). | LTE offers a 50 to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) data rate. |
| Generation | 5G is from Fifth-generation. | LTE Fourth generation. |
| Latency | Less than ten milliseconds is the latency of 5G. | Around 50 milliseconds is the latency of LTE. |
| Bandwidth | The bandwidth of 5G is in the range of 30 GHz. | LTE has a 20 MHz bandwidth. |
| Launched in | Around the year 2019, 5g became available. | Around 2009, LTE was released. |
What is 5G?
The upcoming standard for mobile broadband, and its predecessor, 4G LTE, are designed to deliver peak data rates. But they also offer benefits that go beyond speed, including lower latency, more excellent reliability, larger network capacity and a more consistent user experience.
5G will use a high-band spectrum (millimetre wave) to deliver multi-gigabit per second peak data rates. It will also use a mid-band spectrum — some of the same frequencies deployed for 4G LTE Advanced networks — to support broader coverage and a better user experience. And it will use a low-band spectrum, which is currently used for 4G LTE networks, to ensure full nationwide coverage and lower-cost devices in the early days of 5G.
5G wireless technology is designed to provide multi-gigabit per second peak data rates, ultra-low latency, more excellent dependability, huge network capacity, and a more consistent user experience to a more significant number of users.
The upcoming standard for mobile broadband, and its predecessor, 4G LTE, are designed to deliver peak data rates. But they also offer benefits that go beyond speed, including lower latency, more excellent reliability, larger network capacity and a more consistent user experience.
4G LTE networks are running out of steam as data demand grows. Video streaming alone accounts for more than half of the global mobile traffic. In some countries, it has reached 70 per cent or more!
5G has been designed to cater to this high-speed data demand. It will also have much lower latency than 4G LTE and support a far greater number of connected devices.
What is LTE?
LTE (Long-Term Evolution) is a fourth-generation (4G) wireless technology that increases network capacity and speed for cellphones and other cellular networks. In the United States, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have deployed LTE to some degree. Verizon has rolled out its 4G LTE network over nearly all its coverage areas.
LTE has several essential features such as :
Faster data rates: LTE can download data at rates of up to 300 megabits per second (Mbps).
Improved spectral efficiency: LTE’s advanced modulation techniques help it achieve higher throughputs than older technologies. It also uses MIMO (multiple input/multiple outputs) antenna technology to transmit multiple data streams simultaneously between base stations and mobile devices for greater throughput. This is a crucial factor in enabling high data rates.
Lower latency: Latency refers to the delay from when a request is made until the server responds. Lower latency improves applications like video chat, VoIP and online gaming by reducing the lag time between a command given and acted upon. With LTE, this delay drops from 50 milliseconds with 3G to 30 milliseconds or less with 4G.
4G networks were designed to be more efficient and less expensive for carriers to maintain and expand than 3G networks. 4G devices also support voice calls (a feature LTE shares with its predecessor, 3G).
Main Differences Between 5G and LTE
- The full version of 5G is fifth-generation, whereas LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution.
- 5G became accessible around 2019, whereas LTE was debuted about 2009.
- 5G speeds vary between 1 and 20 Gbps. LTE, on the other hand, has data rates ranging from 50 to 100 Mbps.
- 5G has a bandwidth of 30 GHz, whereas LTE only has a bandwidth of 20 MHz.
- 5G has a latency of fewer than ten milliseconds, whereas LTE has a latency of about 50 milliseconds.
- 5G can support a million devices per square kilometre, but each LTE sector can only support 250.
Conclusion
The main difference between 5G and LTE is that 5G offers faster speeds, higher capacity and reduced latency. Faster speeds mean improved network reliability, which can be critical for autonomous vehicles that require real-time information.
Higher capacity makes it possible for more devices to use the network at one time, reducing congestion for consumers. Reducing latency helps allow 5G networks to support augmented reality applications (such as gaming), virtual reality applications and even holographic applications in the future.